Over 1 lakh defective meters in DHBVN area, replacement on cards
Former minister Sampat Singh questions Rs 27,915-crore accumulated losses
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has flagged that over one lakh electricity meters are defective in the jurisdiction of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), prompting the utility to announce a mission-mode replacement drive.
The issue surfaced during DHBVN’s Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) petition for the financial year 2026-27. Commission member Mukesh Garg sought clarification after data submitted by the utility showed around 1.40 lakh defective meters in its operational area.
In response, DHBVN officials maintained that the number has now reduced to about one lakh. They said information regarding defective meters is gathered from meter readers, who update records based on field observations such as burnt or damaged meters.
Officials claimed such meters are usually replaced within a week. However, they admitted that the process had slowed due to procurement delays. “A new tender has now been placed for procurement, and the utility expects to expedite the replacement work with improved availability, which will be carried out in a mission mode,” an official said.
The hearing also witnessed sharp remarks on the financial health of Haryana’s power utilities. Former minister Sampat Singh pointed out that accumulated losses had reached Rs 27,915 crore. He said he failed to understand how the utilities slipped into losses after posting a profit of Rs 800 crore in 2021.
“After facing losses, the state government had intervened by introducing the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY), under which the government took over Rs 25,950 crore out of the total loss of Rs 34,600 crore, following which the power utilities earned a profit of Rs 800 crore in 2021,” Singh said, questioning the financial prudence that later pushed the utilities back into losses.
He further highlighted that total borrowings stood at Rs 20,311 crore as of March 2025 and criticised the levy of fixed charges. “This is over and above the unit charges and other charges levied in the power bill. In this way, about Rs 20,000 crore was charged as fixed charges from consumers,” Singh said, demanding immediate withdrawal of fixed charges, increased tariffs, fuel surcharge, fuel cost adjustment and cross-subsidisation.
HERC chairman Nand Lal Sharma later stressed the need for greater accountability. Expressing displeasure over DHBVN officials arriving late for the hearing, he said, “The day officers truly understand their responsibility towards their duties, most problems will resolve automatically.” He emphasised that administrative discipline and self-accountability were crucial to strengthening the state’s power sector.
