Iesco meter readers threaten to launch protest if project not shelved

INSTALLATION OF SMART METERS

Rawalpindi

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) employees as well as its higher officials have expressed concern over government plan to replace digital meters with smart meters which according to them is not a wise step except wasting billions of rupees. They threatened to launch protest movement if the project is not shelved.

The concern was expressed by the employees including general secretary of All Pakistan Hydro Electrical Meter Wing Union, Raja Khalil Ashraf along with other representatives in a special meeting which also deplored the move of the government saying there is no need to replace digital meters with smart meters.

Ironically, according to Khalil Ashraf and other representatives, the government has now come up with a new plan to introduce the smart meter system in the country. In this regard, allocation of fund worth Rs20 billion has also been made by the government to enforce this system all over the country.

With the introduction of smart meters, the purpose of hundreds of employees like meter readers would not be required as the reading of units would be recorded directly in feeder offices, he stated.

As the services of meter readers would not be required with the introduction of smart meter system, the employees associated with his section would be either be downsized or accommodated in different sub stations of Iesco in different parts of the country.

According to him even in the past, the governments had been changing sealing meters, PC Meters and now digital meters are being replaced on which huge amount of billions of rupees would be spent.

He said sealing meters were best as it were in position of being repaired after developing fault. However, it was replaced with PC meters which after developing fault were unable to be repaired and there was no other option left but to purchase new PC meters to install in a house. Over the last two years trend of digital meters installation was adopted against PC meters in houses.

While urging the government to reconsider its decision, the Meter Wing employees headed by its Union threatened to launch protest movement all over the country if the plan is not withdrawn.