Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Telangana Rules Out Meters on Farm Motors Under RDSS
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said farm motors will not get smart meters.
He said this decision will not change.
Some political parties had warned farmers that meters might be installed.
Bhatti said those warnings could create unnecessary fear.
He explained that the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme does not require meters on farm pump sets.
The scheme is meant to improve the electricity network and upgrade transformers.
New equipment will help power officials find faults faster.
Bhatti also said the previous BRS government did not use some grants available from the Centre.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said agricultural motors and pump sets will not receive smart meters.
Bhatti said the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme does not require metering of agricultural pump sets.
He said the works will instead strengthen the power network, upgrade transformers and introduce monitoring technologies.
The Deputy CM accused the previous BRS government of failing to use grants available from the Centre.
He said fault passage indicators will help substations identify power-line problems without waiting for linemen to locate them.
- Who
- Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, responding to a Legislative Council question.
- What
- He stated that smart meters will not be installed on agricultural motors or pump sets.
- When
- Friday, when Bhatti replied to the question in the Legislative Council; the cited UDAY deadlines were June 30, 2017, December 31, 2018, and December 31, 2019.
- Where
- Hyderabad, Telangana.
- Why
- Bhatti said the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme does not mandate agricultural pump-set metering and is instead focused on strengthening the electricity distribution system.
Government Position
Political Claims Criticized By Government
Agricultural metering
Government Position
Bhatti said agricultural motors and pump sets will not receive smart meters and that RDSS contains no such mandate.
Political Claims Criticized By Government
Bhatti said some political parties have claimed that meters would be installed on agricultural motors, a claim he described as creating unnecessary fear and misconceptions among farmers.
Use of RDSS funds
Government Position
The government said RDSS works are intended to improve the distribution network rather than meter agricultural pump sets.
Political Claims Criticized By Government
Bhatti criticized the previous BRS government for causing a loss to Telangana by failing to use grants available from the Centre.
- Official position
- There is no question of installing smart meters on agricultural motors or pump sets.
- Scheme cited
- Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
- RDSS purpose
- Strengthening power supply, expanding the network, upgrading transformers and introducing modern technologies.
- Previous agreement
- The previous BRS government entered a tripartite UDAY agreement with the Union Ministry of Power and Telangana DISCOMs.
- UDAY metering requirement
- The agreement required 100% Distribution Transformer metering by June 30, 2017.
- Consumer smart meters
- The agreement specified smart meters for consumers using more than 500 units monthly, excluding agricultural consumers, by December 31, 2018, and for consumers using more than 200 units by December 31, 2019.
- Fault detection
- Fault passage indicators will send information about line interruptions to substations and control rooms.