Bhubaneswar: Odisha has installed 1,45,141 smart prepaid meters across all 30 districts, with Khurda accounting for the highest number of installations at 36,744, Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo informed the state assembly on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question by Balangir MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, the minister said Khurda was followed by Ganjam with 16,304 smart prepaid meters and Kataka with 13,964 installations.
Anugola accounted for 7,933 smart prepaid meters, while Kendrapada and Dhenkanal recorded 6,283 and 6,177 installations, respectively. Koraput had 5,227 smart prepaid meters installed, according to the minister’s reply.
The minister also informed the Assembly that the state’s distribution companies (DISCOMs) had received 1,499 complaints related to erroneous billing from smart prepaid meters during the last two years. All the complaints have been redressed, he said.
On power supply to agricultural consumers in Balangir, Singh Deo said the average daytime power supply to agricultural feeders in the district during the last irrigation season was 23 hours and 25 minutes.
The minister further said 5,419 agricultural pump-set connections were pending in Balangir district. Of these, 5,310 were pending at the consumer end, while 109 were pending at the TPWODL end.
The figures were provided by the minister in response to questions raised in the State Assembly regarding smart prepaid meter installations, billing complaints and power connections for agricultural consumers.
