JAMMU : Ramesh Kumar, the divisional commissioner, presided over a meeting today to review and respond to public worries about smart power metres in the division. The discussion was held with participants from civil society, including groups for the city’s industries and traders, in an effort to allay concerns and promote clarity. Installation of smart metres was one of the main discussion areas in the meeting, as concerns arose about their reliability and functionality. The questions and worries were effectively dispelled during the session by clear explanations.The Div Com provided a remedy after taking into account the issues brought up by the members of the civil society. He instructed JPDCL to perform a trial run by installing digital metres alongside smart metres in specified locations to check the readings for the satisfaction of the general public. During this testing phase, it will be determined whether the readings provided by the recently installed smart metres are accurate and authentic. Another significant issue raised was the difficulty for consumers to inspect the readings due to the metres being positioned on electricity poles at great heights and sometimes in close proximity. In response to the problem, the Div Com gave the JPDCL the go-ahead to investigate ways to lower the height or place metres on the customers’ walls. The Managing Director of JPDCL also provided information on the advantages and how these smart metres function, while highlighting their precision and effectiveness. He also answered the questions and concerns that the presidents of market associations had raised. The Divisional Commissioner gave all interested parties the reassurance that the implementation of smart metres is a move meant to herald in a new era of accuracy and openness in power consumption measurement. He highlighted that the ultimate objective is to promote error-free readings, assure proper electricity usage, and collect money in a fair and sincere way.The Div Com also instructed JPDCL to alert helpline numbers to handle distressed calls about smart metres and immediately resolve difficulties. Additionally, he requested an ongoing evaluation of how the control rooms and Helpline numbers are operating. The Div Com also gave the civil society the assurance that JPDCL representatives will be assigned to install metres and address any immediate problems. DIG Shakti Pathak, MD JPDCL Shivanant Tayal, Chief Engineer JPDCL Sandeep Seth, ADC Jammu Harvinder Singh, SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli, Presidents of Industries and Traders organisations, along with members, attended the meeting.
