During his recent visit to West Bengal, Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal called upon several government departments of the State to clear up their pending dues. Mr. Lal also sought their transition to prepaid meters, sources said. To alleviate the pressure on discoms (distribution companies), Mr. Lal also sought a “robust mechanism” for regular settlement of dues.

Reviewing the progress of ‘smart metering’ in the State, Mr. Lal called for its expeditious implementation. The State government is committed to saturating government establishments with smart meters by June, and in the prepaid mode by August, sources told The Hindu.

The meeting was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and senior officials from the State government, Union Ministry of Power, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Central Public Sector Enterprises in the power sector.