Shillong, Sept 13: The Meghalaya government has succumbed to pressure from the Centre and will implement the smart meter project in the state, Power Minister AT Mondal announced on Thursday.
The project, aimed at detecting leakages and bringing efficiency in the power department, will require the redeployment of around 800 meter readers. Mondal assured consumers that they will not suffer due to inflated bills, and complaints will be addressed.
The minister also ruled out downsizing of staff despite financial constraints, and said efforts are underway to minimize losses and bring reforms to the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL).
In a related development, the government is working on an alternate road to allow heavier vehicles to ply, as the Umiam dam bridge has been restricted to heavier vehicles due to safety concerns.