Budget 2020: 100% smart prepaid metering trips on target and funds

Power ministry has been planning it for two years, but with limited success

The proposal for smart prepaid metering across the country in three years, announced in the Union Budget last week, has been hailed by the power industry. But the initiative is not new. The power ministry has been planning it for the past two years, but with limited success. At the same time, many hurdles await the ambitious plan. 

In her Budget speech on February 1, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “The ministry intends to promote smart metering. I urge all states and Union territories to replace conventional energy meters with prepaid smart meters in the next three years.”  

Two years back, R K Singh,