THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The report of the technical subcommittee appointed by the state government to study the complaints raised by Left trade unions against implementing KSEBL’s smart meter project is in its final stages. The deadline set by the state government’s to submit the report ended on Tuesday. If there is no external intervention, the state government will implement the Rs 8,200 crore project by utilising indigenous technology developed by C-DAC, the country’s premier R & D institution.
From day one, the trade unions in KSEBL were against the TOTEX model (total cost of expenditure combining capital expenditure and operational expenditure) in implementing the smart meter project as they thought it would lead to privatisation.
They urged the state government to cancel the project implementation agency, Rural Electrification Corporation Power Distribution Company Ltd. The trade unions’ demand was that the state government should utilise the indigenous technology developed by C-DAC.
Accordingly, the state government entrusted the KSEBL to take a call on avoiding the project implementation agency and to decide on how the tender applications should be initiated. Thus a five-member technical subcommittee was constituted for the purpose. Vice-chancellor, Digital University, Kerala, strategic consultant, Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council, executive engineer, Kerala Startup Mission, KSEBL director (distribution, supply chain management and IT) and chief engineer (IT, Customer Relations and Centrally Aided Projects), were the members of the subcommittee.
The main concern of the state government is whether the KSEBL would lose funding under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) if it initiates the smart meter project directly. But trade union leaders vouch that the board will get only 7.5 per cent subsidy from RDSS and not 15 per cent as claimed by the Centre. A senior trade union leader told TNIE that the state government should give thrust on how to reduce the liabilities being imposed on the consumers who are already having a harrowing time.
“The state government should ponder over the need to go for the Rs 8,500 crore project as we will get only half the subsidy. If we utilise the indigenous software technology of C-DAC and initiate the tendering process for the hardware from an external agency, then we can rely on a good start-up for integration. If so, the consumers will have to bear only Rs 2,000 - Rs 2,500 for a new smart meter instead of Rs 8,500. Also, a consumer will have to cough up only Rs 100 - Rs 200 towards the smart meter bi-monthly power bill,” said a trade union leader.
A highly placed government source told TNIE that the expert committee is scheduled to have one more sitting before the final report is submitted to the state government within the next few days.