Infrastructure Lag Makes Smart Meter Investment Questionable

The state’s smart‑meter scheme, backed by an RDSS fund of about ₹4,100 crore, is being executed alongside annual spendings of thousands of crore on network expansion and maintenance. Yet the basic infrastructure—old overhead lines, unprotected transformers, and a lack of fuse‑call services—has not seen comparable upgrades. Citizens wonder where the money is flowing when the first monsoon knocks out power across whole colonies, and repair crews arrive hours later.