By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra launched the ‘New Electricity Consumer Billing System’ from Lokseba Bhawan Conference hall in the presence of Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, Principal Secretary Energy Nikunja Bihari Dhal, Principal Secretary Finance Vishal Dev and senior officers of OPTCL.
Launching the system, the Chief Secretary said, “The new system is future-ready. It will provide for smart meter reading, smart grid, pre-paid regime and correct accounting of renewable energy generated from rooftop solar, etc”. Mahapatra directed the DISCOMs to make the system highly visible with 360-degree foolproof arrangements for enhancing the consumer satisfaction”.
Principal Secretary Energy N.B. Dhal said, “ The new system will improve the power service to around 73 lakh consumers in the State with quick power connection, advanced metering, error-free billing and collection, dedicated customer care center, a centralized help desk, and, a state-of-the-art Data Center at OPTCL”.
Along with various customized IT applications for the convenience of the customers and ease of doing business, the new system also includes setting up of a disaster recovery centre on cloud and IT infra in DISCOM offices of three DISCOM divisions viz. TPNODL (erstwhile NESCO), TPWODL (erstwhile WESCO), and TPSODL (erstwhile SOUTHCO). Around 517 DISCOM offices at different levels will be modernized with the latest computing and networking equipment. For developing and rolling out the new system, the Government of Odisha has funded Rs.117 cr and the Government of India has funded about Rs.42 cr under the integrated power development scheme (IPDS).
The system will bring about digital transformation in providing various services to electricity consumers of the State. It will also lead to having a real-time inventory of the materials and resources available in different divisions so that those could be transported to other divisions and fitted there as per the requirement.
The consumer will get end-to-end information regarding new power connection, meter reading, spot billing, collection, and reflection of the collection against the registered consumer number. The system also envisions reducing the aggregate technical and commercial (A&T) loss from the present level of 30% to 15% at the rate of 2 to 3 percent per annum. The project is being implemented by OPTCL with Fluent grid as the System Integrator and Bosch India (RBEI) as SAP ERP delivery partner.
Three Customer Care Centers will be operated at each of DISCOM headquarters for improving customer relationship management and quick resolution of the service requests complaints queries raised by Consumers.
Sanjay Mishra, MD OPTCL, Trilochan Panda, MD GRIDCO, Bhadresh Bhai Mehetta, Director OPTCL, Priyadarshan Patra, General Manager along with senior officers of the DISCOMs were present on the occasion.
