THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will move ahead with plans to secure an additional loan of Rs 4060 crore from the central government for installing the center-approved plan for smart meters. KSEB has started calling tenders for the installment of 37 lakh smart meters in the state. The left-affiliated unions in the KSEB have proved a hindrance to this move earlier.
However, considering the wrecked finance of the state, the government looks to bypass the union opposition and move forward with the deal. The insiders comment that the government backing out from this project affects the future financial assistance from the central government. The tender is called for the project that covers an estimated budget of Rs 2400 crore. The government has asserted that the company applying should be versed in the application of the TOTEX mode for installing the meters.
The workers union and other left-affiliated organizations are showing strong disapproval of the TOTEX mode planned. The government has formed a committee to look into the issue and asked for a report at the earliest. The left union has approved of the government's move to assign a committee but warns that the tender process shall start only after the report gets submitted.