Power Sector Review: R K Singh Directs States

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Union power minister R K Singh has directed his state counterparts to review the performance of the sector on a regular basis and maintain a billing efficiency of 87 per cent.

The Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy made the remarks addressing a press conference on states' power and new & renewable energy ministers' meet.

"Ministers and senior officers of states should regularly review and monitor the performance of discoms and generation companies to see that the energy accounts have been prepared, billing efficiency is above 87 per cent, collection efficiency is above 97 per cent. Only then will accountability come into the system and the system will get maintained and get better," Singh said at the two-day meet concluded on Tuesday.

The state power ministers and officials were also asked to install pre-paid smart meters in all government departments.

Singh further told state ministers to fix the electricity tariff regularly before the beginning of a financial year.

Singh also said that if states want to give a subsidy they can go ahead but they will have to be paid for.

"States can give whatever subsidy they want, but the subsidy has to be paid for," he said.

The states, he said, are advised to maintain adequate coal stocks to meet rising energy demand and work towards reducing the time for new connections and making the electricity available without any load shedding.