Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal stresses prepaid smart metering for government colonies at the Regional Power Conference with North Eastern States in Gangtok.
Gangtok, Sikkim – April 26, 2025 – Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, today highlighted the importance of prioritizing prepaid smart metering for government establishments, including colonies, to address critical issues in the power sector. He was speaking at a Regional Power Conference with North Eastern States held in Gangtok, Sikkim.
The conference, which took place on April 26, 2025, was attended by Sikkim Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang, along with state ministers of power from Tripura (Shri Ratan Lal Nath), Mizoram (Shri A T Mondal), and Meghalaya (Shri F. Rodingliana), MLA cum Advisor Power from Arunachal Pradesh (Shri Jikke Tako), and MLA cum Advisor Power from Sikkim (Shri Sanjeet Kharel). The meeting also saw the participation of the Union Power Secretary, Secretaries from participating states, CMDs of Central and State Power Utilities, and senior officers from the Ministry of Power.
In his address, Shri Manohar Lal emphasized that a future-ready, modern, and financially viable power sector is crucial for fueling India’s growth towards becoming a developed nation (“Viksit Bharat”). He noted that the regional conference would be instrumental in identifying specific challenges and solutions within the North Eastern power sector.
The Union Minister stated that despite a minor gap of 0.1% in meeting current power requirements, continuous efforts are needed to meet future demands. He highlighted that since 2014, power generation has increased significantly, and advancing various modes of generation, including thermal, hydro, atomic, and renewable energy, alongside a shift towards non-fossil power sources, is essential for achieving the target of Net Zero Emissions.
Addressing the distribution sector, Shri Lal mentioned that while government schemes like RDSS and PM-JANMAN are tackling difficulties, challenges persist due to poor tariff structures, suboptimal billing and collection, and delayed payments. He stressed that reducing AT&C losses and bridging the gap between the Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realised (ARR) are crucial for the distribution sector’s viability, emphasizing that tariffs must be cost-reflective. He further noted that the execution of works under RDSS, including Smart Metering Works, will significantly improve the operational losses of utilities. It is in this context that prioritizing smart metering for government establishments and colonies was underscored.
Shri Lal also urged states to work towards ensuring energy security and leveraging the Hydro-Power potential in the North Eastern region, including Pumped Storage solutions.
The Secretary (Power), Government of India, highlighted the need for capital infusion to meet growing power demands and drive reforms and modernization. Given the long gestation period for power projects, he emphasized the urgency of tying up necessary transmission requirements as per the resource adequacy plan by FY2030. He discussed arrangements for intra-state transmission capacity and reviewed various available financing models, including Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB), Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM), budgetary support, and monetization of existing assets. The Secretary also assessed the states’ preparedness for meeting summer power demand.
Sikkim Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang welcomed the participants and detailed the steps taken by the State to improve the quality and reliability of power supply. He also presented the State’s proposed plan for future improvements and requested interventions from the Government of India on various issues.
The participating states thanked the Union Minister for the importance given to the North Eastern region and requested continued support from the GoI for further strengthening the power infrastructure in the region.
