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Journalism of Courage
The Rajasthan government’s move to install smart electricity meters across the state is facing pushback, with the dispensation now rolling back on its previous mandate of installing these devices for new connections.
The decision came on the back of protests, with clashes and stone-pelting being reported in Jaisalmer last week. Launched under the central government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), these smart meters are aimed at “remote meter reading, load profiling, accurate energy audits, and quicker identification of network issues”.
However, critics argue that the decision could deprive millions of the fundamental right to electricity.
Smart meters are digital devices that record information — such as consumption of electric energy, voltage levels, current, and power factor — and relay them back in real time. While regular meters require manual readings, smart meters allow real-time data transmission and remote access.
According to officials, smart meters are capable of providing quick and hassle-free electricity readings and significantly reduces manual labour. Although it can be both prepaid and billing, the state government currently offers the latter. Additionally, the Rajasthan government has currently limited these meters for residential and commercial purposes but not agriculture.
The introduction of smart meters in Rajasthan was in phases. When it was first mooted under the UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) scheme in 2017 — under the Vasundhara Raje government — the target was set for 31,136 devices for high-consumption users. However, only about 18,000 were installed.
The project then took a backseat for a few years, picking up pace under the previous Congress government between 2021 and 2023. In 2024, the Rajasthan government approved a state-wide rollout for 1.43 crore consumers. Estimated to cost Rs 9,700 crore, the project had support from the central government under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
Orders for smart meters were placed in September 2024, and installation drive began in May this year. Over 10 lakh smart meters have been installed in Rajasthan so far.
The objections
The project has met with vociferous protests, even leading to clashes between protesters and the police in Jaisalmer’s Lohar Basti when employees from the state’s electricity department came to install smart meters there on August 6.
Critics, which includes Opposition parties such as the Congress and Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, argue that smart meters could lead to higher power bills. However, the biggest objection is to the shift to prepaid billing, with fears that it could lead to electricity cuts once the electricity balance runs out.
There are also allegations that the company that was contracted to install smart meters was blacklisted in Goa last year, fuelling Opposition allegations of partisanship.
Government’s response
On its part, officials dismiss the fears as unfounded. Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited Chairperson Arti Dogra told The Indian Express Rajasthan is currently offering only billing services.
“The decision on whether to offer prepaid services will be taken after assessing the situation on the ground. Once it is, consumers could choose whether they want prepaid or billing,” she said.
Meanwhile, B S Meena, a superintendent engineer at Rajasthan’s energy department, told The Indian Express that consumers could “always check their meters when in doubt”. On the allegation that a blacklisted company had been given the contract, he claimed that it was not so at the time of winning the bid but also added that the company is no longer blacklisted.
“The rules state that a company should not be blacklisted in the state at the time of handing the contract. When the contract was given, the company was not blacklisted,” the official said, adding: “It [the company] had moved the high court and that the Goa government had withdrawn the order within 15 days”.
