Hyderabad: Telangana will join the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), a central govt initiative aimed at strengthening power distribution frastructure and reducing transmission losses. As part of the scheme, pre-paid smart meters will be installed for all consumers except agricultural connections.The state cabinet, chaired by chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday, approved proposals submitted by Telangana discoms to join RDSS.It also approved the construction of one lakh Indiramma housing units for low-income groups and another 30,000 units for middle-income groups in the CURE area, which covers 24 assembly constituencies. The decision assumes significance as elections to the GHMC, Malkajgiri and Cyberabad municipal corporations are expected later this year.Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, housing and revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said the decision to join RDSS was not new.“The previous BRS govt had already signed a tripartite agreement to join RDSS. The agreement was signed on Jan 2, 2017, between the Union power ministry, Telangana govt and the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited. However, the previous govt did not take it forward. The Congress govt discussed the issue for two days in the assembly before the cabinet approved it. This does not involve installing meters for agricultural connections,” the minister said.Officials stated that the cost of smart meters would not be passed on to consumers, as the expenditure would be shared by the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio. The scheme primarily aims to reduce the gap between discom revenue and expenditure.Though annual electricity tariff revisions are also said to be linked to RDSS, officials clarified that tariff decisions fall under the jurisdiction of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission. Telangana discoms are expected to receive central funding under the scheme.Srinivas Reddy further said that the cabinet had approved the launch of Phase I of the Indiramma Housing Scheme in the CURE area with the construction of one lakh LIG flats and 30,000 MIG units. He added that Phase I of the housing scheme had already been completed in rural areas, while Phase II would be launched by the CM on June 1 in Asifabad district.As part of the Phase II rollout, the cabinet approved the construction of 2.5 lakh Indiramma houses across the state, with 2,000 houses allotted to each assembly constituency.The cabinet also decided to complete unfinished Indiramma houses that were initiated during the Congress govt in undivided Andhra Pradesh but were stalled at various stages of construction.Financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh will be provided for houses where only the foundation has been completed and walls or roof slabs remain pending. Houses with completed walls but pending roof slabs will receive Rs 2 lakh assistance.To facilitate the completion of such pending houses, the cabinet approved funding support for 500 houses in each constituency.
