New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal on Tuesday reviewed power sector related matters of Haryana and the state committed to begin smart metering works on ground from August 31, 2026.

The minister emphasised the need for phased rollout of prepaid smart metering, beginning with government consumers and employees, followed by high-end consumers with load more than 10kW, with appropriate incentive mechanisms for voluntary conversion, the statement from Ministry of Power said.

Officials at the meeting discussed the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) as well as operational and financial parameters of the distribution companies.

Manohar Lal emphasised that electricity must be treated as an economic good and utilities must run on sound commercial principles. He urged measures to reduce the cost of power purchase, rationalise expenses and augment revenue.

He highlighted the need for timely settlement of government department dues and subsidies through an automated payment mechanism.

Manohar Lal advised the State to undertake all loss reduction works on priority with time-bound completion targets. He also reviewed the status of resource adequacy and intra-State Transmission planning, and advised the state to resolve outstanding issues and ensure that capacity addition keeps pace with demand growth.

Progress under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana was also reviewed and the state was directed to prepare a focused action plan for expanding consumer enrolment under the scheme to help reduce the power costs of consumers.

Manohar Lal noted that sincere efforts will go a long way in making the State DISCOMs financially viable and the State power sector self-sufficient. He assured the Central government’s continued support and cooperation for the overall development of the state.

Anil Vij, Minister for Power, Haryana, assured that the state shall take all necessary measures for implementation of the sanctioned works and improving the overall performance of the State’s power sector.

—IANS

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