The UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad (UPRVUP) has raised serious concerns regarding the testing process for smart meters in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the laboratory used for examining the meters was not authorized to conduct critical tests required under applicable smart meter standards.
Background of the Issue
The controversy centers on a four-member technical committee constituted by the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The committee was formed on April 12 following mounting complaints about smart prepaid meters installed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). It includes IIT-Kanpur professors Ankush Sharma and Prabodh Bajpai, Electrical Research and Development Association (ERDA) representative Tejas Mistry, and UPPCL director (distribution) GD Dwivedi. The panel was tasked with examining complaints related to meter quality, connectivity, and performance across the state.
Testing Process Questioned
Recently, samples of 24 smart prepaid meters manufactured by different companies were tested at the hi-tech testing laboratory of Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) in Gomtinagar, under the supervision of power corporation officials. An interim report was subsequently prepared. However, UPRVUP chairman and member of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Avadhesh Kumar Verma, questioned the validity of the exercise.
Verma stated that the laboratory holds National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation only for testing conventional meters under IS 14697 and IS 13779 standards, and not for smart prepaid meters governed by IS 16444 standards. “IS 16444 smart meters require specialized testing related to electrical requirements, power consumption, radio frequency technology, communication capability, and functional requirements, for which MVVNL’s lab does not have mandate,” Verma said.
Guidelines and Defense
Guidelines of the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), which is funding RDSS in UP, state that smart meters should be tested at Central Power Research Institute laboratories, utility laboratories, or NABL-accredited labs with an appropriate testing scope. MVVNL executive engineer Subodh Jha defended the testing process, saying the laboratory was capable of conducting the “accuracy subset” tests of IS 16444 because those parameters were common with IS 14697 and IS 13779 standards.
Professor Ankush Sharma of IIT-Kanpur told TOI that the committee had submitted its preliminary report to UPPCL and found the smart meters were functioning within prescribed parameters. He added that the final report was yet to be submitted.
Call for Action
Verma urged UPPCL to ensure that smart meter testing is carried out only at fully authorized and accredited laboratories to maintain public confidence. It is worth noting that TOI was the first to establish that UPPCL was charging an unauthorized amount of Rs 6,016 for IS 16444 standard smart meters for new connections based on the rate for non-smart prepaid meters (IS 15884). The corporation was allegedly taking leverage on the confusion over the type of smart meter standard.
