Ludhiana, Dec. 20 -- More than three years after the Union ministry of power set a 2022 deadline to replace conventional electricity meters with smart meters nationwide, the rollout in Ludhiana district continues to lag, with barely one-fifth of electricity consumers covered so far.

According to data from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), only 19.9% of Ludhiana's 14.76 lakh electricity consumers have been brought under the smart metering system. As of the end of October, just 2.95 lakh smart meters had been installed across the district.

The implementation has been uneven, with urban areas significantly outperforming rural regions. Official records show that urban divisions such as Focal Point, Sunder Nagar and Aggar N...