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The government has sanctioned smart metering works covering 19.79 crore electricity consumers across the country under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the Ministry of Power told the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said the smart metering programme also covers 2.05 lakh feeders and 52.53 lakh distribution transformers along with the related digital ecosystem. Projects worth Rs 1.31 lakh crore have been sanctioned for smart metering works under RDSS, while another Rs 1.53 lakh crore has been sanctioned for infrastructure aimed at reducing distribution losses. The digitalisation works have been sanctioned across 28 states and 45 distribution utilities, according to the ministry. The government has so far released Rs 47,124 crore under RDSS since FY2023, including Rs 2,733 crore towards smart metering works. Apart from smart meters, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Distribution Management System works worth Rs 2,627 crore have been sanctioned across 394 towns. Another Rs 3,999 crore of works have been sanctioned for digital systems including enterprise resource planning, unified billing solutions, geographic information system-based works and real-time data acquisition systems. The government has also sanctioned Rs 8,608 crore for smart distribution works across seven cities. These include smart technology systems, GIS substations, monitoring the health of distribution transformers, undergrounding of electricity lines and modernisation of distribution infrastructure. The ministry said the Centre has also initiated the India Energy Stack, which is aimed at creating a common digital framework for data exchange across the country's power sector. For training and capacity building of distribution company personnel in digital systems, Rs 100.9 crore has been allocated under RDSS. Of this, Rs 23.36 crore had been utilised till July 2026, while 14,853 personnel had been trained. Before RDSS, the Centre had supported power distribution digitalisation through schemes including the Integrated Power Development Scheme and the National Smart Grid Mission. The RDSS was launched in July 2021 with the objective of improving the quality of power supply through a financially sustainable and operationally efficient distribution sector. (ANI)
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