73 lakh smart prepaid meters installed nationwide till Nov: Minister

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) As many as 73 lakh smart prepaid meters have been installed in various states till the end of November this year under the Centre’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the Parliament was informed.

While 19.79 crore smart meters have been sanctioned, 72.97 lakh devices have been installed in various states as on November 29 as several state governments are lagging behind in meeting the financial targets fixed for Discoms under the scheme, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

As per the data shared by the minister, smart meter installations were ‘nil’ in states like Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Rajasthan and Punjab against the sanctioned number of devices in these states at 3 crore, 5.47 lakh, 1.42 crore and 87.84 lakh, respectively.

According to the figures, 83,573 smart meters have been sanctioned for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 4.03 lakh for Puducherry.

The Union Government launched the RDSS with an outlay of Rs 3,03,758 crore and estimated Government Budgetary Support (GBS) from the Central Government of Rs 97,631 crore for five years i.e. from (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26).

The scheme aims to reduce the Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses to pan-India levels of 12-15 per cent and the Average Cost of Supply (ACS)-Average Revenue Realised (ARR) gap to zero by 2024-25.

The scheme has two major components: Part ‘A’ – Financial support for Prepaid Smart Metering & System Metering and upgradation of the Distribution Infrastructure and Part ‘B’ – Training & Capacity Building and other Enabling & Supporting Activities. Financial assistance to DISCOMs is provided for the upgradation of the Distribution Infrastructure and Prepaid Smart Consumer Metering & System Metering based on meeting pre-qualifying criteria and achieving the basic minimum benchmark in reforms.

Schemes of Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) along with Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP)-2015 for Jammu & Kashmir are being subsumed in this scheme to be implemented as per their extant guidelines and under their existing terms & conditions.

–IANS

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BRS has no right to fight over Telangana Talli, says Vijayashanthi

Hyderabad, Dec 16 (IANS) Actor-politician Vijayashanthi on Monday said that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has no right to fight over the change in the design of the ‘Telangana Talli’ (Mother Telangana) statue.

Vijayashanthi recalled that in 2007, the first Telangana Talli statue was unveiled by the Talli Telangana Party, floated by her.

In a post on ‘X’, she said that BS Ramulu had designed Telangana Talli as the mother of the poor, weak, and marginalised communities.

Vijayashanthi, who is now with the Congress, stated the then TRS, which is now the BRS, did not design Telangana Talli.

“Subsequently, the TRS (BRS) unveiled a statue of Telangana Talli at their TRS office. However, for 10 years when they were in power, they never provided official status and respect to Telangana Talli,” she wrote.

The veteran actor-turned-politician mentioned that the present Congress government under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy gave official status, and respect and also laid down government policy for Telangana Talli.

“How does a political party like BRS have a right to fight over the change in the design of Telangana Talli,” she asked.

The former MP said that Telangana activists could also have fought when the BRS changed the design of Telangana Talli.

“Our Bonalu and Bathukamma culture has been and will continue for generations. There is no need for the involvement of political parties for their own interests,” she added.

Vijayashanthi’s comments came amid a protest by the BRS over the modified Telangana Talli statue, unveiled at the state Secretariat on December 9.

While the Congress claims that it reflects the true culture and traditions of Telangana, the BRS has accused it of insulting Telangana’s heritage.

BRS leaders have called the modified statue ‘Congress Talli’ as it displays the party’s poll symbol – the ‘hand’.

The omission of Bathukamma in the modified design has angered the BRS. In the earlier design, the mother was shown carrying Bathukamma (specially arranged flowers) in her left hand and plants in her right hand but in the modified version, the mother is seen carrying plants in her left hand and showing ‘Abhaya Mudra’ with her right hand.

BRS MLC K. Kavitha has launched a protest against the Congress government’s action. She is leading protest programmes by playing ‘Bathukamma’ with other women leaders and workers of the party.

–IANS

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Rajasthan CM pays tribute to ASI killed in accident

Jaipur, Dec 21 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday visited Majra Kath, the native village of Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Surendra Singh Ola in Neemrana, who was killed in an accident, to pay his respects.

Sharma offered floral tributes to a photograph of the late ASI and honoured his memory.

The Chief Minister met with Surendra Singh’s grieving family members and expressed his condolences. He assured the family of all possible support during their time of need.

Accompanying the Chief Minister were Minister of State for Forest and Environment (Independent Charge) Sanjay Sharma, MLA Jaswant Singh Yadav, Baba Balaknath, Devi Singh Shekhawat, Kuldeep Dhankar, and other public representatives.

ASI Surendra Singh Ola succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle accident at Akshaya Patra Chauraha, Jagatpura, Jaipur, on December 11. He passed away during treatment at the hospital. His sacrifice and service are remembered with deep respect.

On December 11, an assistant sub-inspector was killed and six others sustained injuries when an escort vehicle in Chief Minister Sharma’s carcade collided with another vehicle in the Jagatpura area.

The incident occurred when Sharma was en route to a Laghu Udyog Bharti event where Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was to be the chief guest. The accident near Akshaya Patra Chauraha on Jagatpura road involved five police personnel and two civilians who were hurt in the collision between the escort vehicle and a taxi.

Taking to X, the CM expressed condolences saying, “The incident of death of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shri Surendra ji and injuries to other citizens in an unfortunate vehicle accident in Jaipur today is extremely sad.”

“In this moment of immense grief, our sensitive government stands with the family of the deceased and the injured. After this accident, the concerned officials have been directed to ensure proper medical treatment of the injured,” he added.

–IANS

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Manipur: Arms and ammunition recovered; two held with drugs

Imphal, Dec 21 (IANS) Manipur Police and other security forces recovered some arms and ammunition from different fringe and vulnerable areas and arrested two persons with drugs on Saturday, officials said.

A police official said that the police and other security forces continued their search in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts and recovered some arms and ammunition.

During search operations in different districts, the arms and ammunition recovered include, one 51 mortar, one 7.62 SLR with Magazine, two modified Sniper 7.62 rifle with empty magazines, one modified grenade launcher, two single barrel guns, four IEDs weighing about 7 kg, three 36 hand grenades without detonator, one misfired 51 mortar bombs, one battery, flexible wire length about 10 meters.

Besides, a huge cache of various types of ammunition, wireless set marks as Baofeng, bulletproof jackets, one camouflage jungle boot, one pair of gum boots, and two BP Iron Plates were also recovered.

In another incident, Manipur Police arrested two persons in a four-wheeler who were found carrying drugs in 30 packets with each packet containing 90 strips (total of 2700 strips) from Hengbung village along National Highway-2 near Senapati District.

The arrested persons have been identified as Md. Akber Khan (37) and Md. Abdul Rahman (36).

A car, four mobile phones, Aadhaar cards, PAN card and a cash amount of Rs 7360 were also recovered from their possession.

In the third incident, security forces arrested one person — Jamkhomang Haokip (27) — from Torbung Bazar under Churachandpur District and recovered a pistol from his possession.

The police official said that the search operations and area domination were also along the National and main highways to ensure free movement of various vehicles including goods-laden vehicles.

Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and the security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles.

–IANS

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