• Power company brings in mobile app for meter reading

    The Kolhapur zone of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has started using a mobile app developed by the power company to bring in transparency in meter-reading.

    The application, equipped with meter tampering system and Global Positioning System (GPS), aims to remove lacunas like human errors in the billing process. Kolhapur zone comprises Kolhapur and Sangli districts and has around 18 lakh customers.

    Public relation officer of Kolhapur zone Vikas Puri said the earlier system had some flaws. “Manual errors used to creep in while uploading data into the system, resulting in complaints regarding billing. The new app aims to remove such errors. The photo taken by the company employee will automatically be uploaded to the server. If internet is not available, the data will get automatically uploaded as and when the internet is available. This is important for remote areas in Kolhapur and Sangli districts where internet network is hardly available,” Puri added.

    The app is available on Google store, window store, and apple store. “The app is equipped with meter tampering system which will help our employees identify tampered meters. Once a meter is tagged as tampered, legal enquiry against the customer will be initiated under the Electricity Act 2003. This system will be implemented in the entire state soon,” he said.

    Chief engineer of company’s Kolhapur zone Shankar Shinde said, “The app was launched after carrying out primary trials, which were successful. Also, we have developed another application for consumers which they can use to register their grievances,” Shinde said.

    MSEDCL has 16 distributions zones in the state. Bhadup, Kalyan, Pune, Nagpur zones were selected in the first phase for introducing this application. Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Baramati, Nashik zones have been selected for second phase of the programme. Sam Darnold Jersey

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