STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The APDCL (Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd) said it would redress consumers' grievances regarding smart meters and excess billing issues.
APDCL MD Rakesh Kumar told The Sentinel, "We are ready to solve the consumers' problems. Be it a billing or smart meter issue, contact your nearest subdivision, division or circle office or dial our helpline number 1912 and lodge your grievance. We will check and rectify all complaints. If we find any excess billing, we will adjust it in the next month's bill. If we find any defective smart meters, we will replace them immediately with new ones free of cost."
He said, "We have already solved many such problems. If you do not get a response from divisions or sub-divisions, you can contact APDCL headquarters directly or via WhatsApp at 7575999666. A few meters may be defective. After all, these are electronic devices. However, the defect is not the way the consumers allege."
According to official sources, the state has around 66.90 lakh APDCL consumers who consume 2,400 MW of power at the peak hour daily. To meet the power demand, APDCL purchases around 2,000 MW of power daily from various sources, as APGCL (Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd) generates 350 MW of power on average. Thus the demand-generation gap is wide. The APDCL incurred a Rs 103-crore loss in 2015-16, Rs 33 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 292 crore in 2020-21. On the other hand, it made Rs 164-crore profit in 2017-18, Rs 21 crore in 2018-19, Rs 202 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 336 crore in 2021-22.
The sources said that the thrust now is on renewable energy. According to the Assam Renewable Energy Policy 2022, the target is to generate 1,000 MW of power by 2027.
Also Watch: