APDCL begins installation of Prepaid meters in Goalpara and Mankachar

A Correspondent

Goalpara: The Assam Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APDCL) has begun installation of Prepaid metres in Goalpara and Mankachar - South Salmara districts under the central government scheme ‘Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS)’ on Thursday. The government has provided thirty single faced free metres at initial stage to be distributed for the municipal or urban areas. The first metre was installed on Thursday at the Nayapara residence of one Mokibur Rahman who is also associated with the company.

‘We have installed successfully two metres, first at Nayapara and second at Bihu field of the town on Friday. We are also looking forward to install in thousand other houses of Goalpara and Mankachar-Hatsingimari districts in coming days’, said Assistant General Manager (AGM) CP Sarma. Talking about the benefits of the Prepaid metres, Sarma said, ‘During the use, most of our consumers are not aware of the electricity consumption. As a result excess electricity is used by people which is a personal as well as national loss. This new device will make consumers conscious and help in saving hard-earned money and energies.

Meanwhile, while talking to this correspondent, Mukul Patowary, zonal officer of Bongaigaon zone, said, “Earlier we needed to make que in the APDCL office, the office had to send twice the outsource manual workers to the consumers residence to collect readings but this system is going to bring a major change in regard to the time, money and energy savings because we can pay through online system also. ‘Though the IPDS scheme is launched in the town areas, if feedback is positively received, there are chances that the scheme will slowly cover the rural areas. At present there are 2.40 lakh consumers under the Goalpara division of Goalpara and Mankachar South Salmara districts. On the other hand, there are about ten lakh consumers under the Bongaigaon zone with three circles and nine districts of Lower Assam : Dhubri, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Baksa, Mankachar South Salmara and Goalpara. The Prepaid electricity meter was first launched at Jorhat Town of Upper Assam back in 2016 on an experiment basis.

Also read: All electricity meters of the nation to convert into smart prepaid meters by 2022