Smart meter is fraud ( goa)
Goa Electric Department gave out the smart metering project which covers about 750,000 customers state wide at a total of ₹890 crore. Price per unit: we see that which is a large average outlay of around Rs 11,683 per meter which in turn has brought in very large amounts of criticism for price. Unexplained Budget Increase: The project which was initially put at around ₹467 crore saw that number go up to ₹890 crore. Critics point out that no clear official reason was given for this almost 90% increase.
• In terms of the Contract Award and Vendor background: the main contract went to CyanConnode’s subsidiary DigiSmart Networks which is a party to a large scale £70 million ₹800+ crore) Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider (AMISP) agreement. Also brought up is that partner companies in the consortium and sub contractors (like Genus Power) had past issues with black listing which raised questions. • Private Profit out come vs. use of Public money: while the companies put out press reports which declared the project a great revenue booster for foreign players which played into the hands of the private companies’ bottom line the public at large is outraged at how tax money is being spent.
• Redundant Financial Burden: Public advocacy groups and opposition put forth that consumers have been made to pay out of pocket for the replacement of analog meters with electronic ones which in turn makes this large scale roll out an unnecessary expense.
• Flawed Infrastructure Approach: Technical critics present that to reduce transmission and distribution (T&D) losses smart meters should be installed directly on distribution transformers instead of what they see as individual household penalties.
• Demands for Rollback: Per reports by The Goan political delegates have put forward formal memoranda which ask for immediate scrapping of the project, a audit of increasing power bills, and wide scale protests if retendering is not done transparently. More details on the specific terms of the AMISP contract model or the political responses to this rollout. AMISP Contract Model & Technical Framework
• DBFOOT Structure: Awarded to CyanConnode’s Indian subsidiary DigiSmart Networks the contract is of a Design-Build-Finance-Own-Operate-Transfer (DBFOOT) nature. Instead of just selling hardware DigiSmart provides full service solutions which include meter data management, RF/cellular network communications, and cloud integration.
• Contract Details: At a value of £70 million (around ₹800+ crore) the project which has a 27 month implementation phase in which we see roll out of almost 750,000 meters which is followed by a 93 month (7.5 year) operation and maintenance period. • SPV Report: Under the central Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) rules DigiSmart set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named GreenMeter Goa Private Limited to handle local deployment and the engagement of secondary sub contractors.
• Cost Jump Allegations: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar put forth reports of a ₹890 crore scam” which is a result in a large scale cost over run from an initial estimate of ₹467 crore.
• Vendor and Sub-contractor Review: also reported that at the time of issue of state power department tenders which went to Genus Power a sub contractor that had in past faced issues of temporary black listing.
• Gram Sabha Decisions: also we saw in many villages of Goa that Gram Sabhas passed in principle that they were against the said project. Critics put forth that what is happening is that consumers are made to buy in to new digital meters which they had recently put in -- what they say is that AT&C issues should be dealt with by metering distribution transformers and not individual homes.
• Government Defense: Goa Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar dismissed demands to do away with the tender, instead which he put forth that smart meter installation is a national issue as per the central government’s RDSS scheme and that what we are seeing is opposition for the sake of politics in this infra modernization.