Lucknow, Nov. 24 -- The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) is pressing ahead with its smart metering drive aimed at plugging revenue leakages. About 45.72 lakh (4.57 million) smart meters have been installed across the state so far (till October). This is 17% of the total 2.7 crore targeted under the Centre's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). According to UPPCL director (commercial) Prashant Verma, smart meters were being installed in phases, targeting big cities first. "Also, new connections are being given only in prepaid mode," he said, adding that the existing smart meters are being converted into prepaid mode without replacing them. As per UPPCL data, Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd, which covers eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur, has recorded the highest progress on the smart meter front with about 21% of its target achieved, roughly 15.44 lakh smart meters installed out of 73.64 lakh. Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd, along with the Kanpur Electricity Supply Company (KESCO), follows closely with around 20% completion, accounting for 10.83 lakh meters out of 54.07 lakh. The UPPCL has officially labelled Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL) and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PuVVNL) as the "worst performing" on financial parameters amid a buzz over their likely handover to private companies. In comparison, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (MVVNL), which caters to Lucknow, Bareilly, Sitapur, and adjoining districts, has achieved about 13% progress, while Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL), covering Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Noida, has installed only 14% of its targeted 61.57 lakh meters. The same data, as presented in a recent meeting chaired by UPPCL chairman Ashish Kumar Goel, shows that among cities, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra, Aligarh, and Lucknow account for the highest number of installations so far. Private contractors such as GMR, Genus, IntelliSmart, and Polaris are implementing the project in different regions. GMR led in Agra and Aligarh under DVVNL with 28% of the target achieved so far while IntelliSmart and Polaris have reported slower rollouts between 10 and 16%. Out of the total meters installed, 40.26 lakh have been commissioned into the Meter Data Management (MDM) system. UPPCL maintains that the initiative is vital for improving billing efficiency and reducing line losses. Yet, many individual consumers and consumer bodies have often expressed apprehension of smart meters running faster. They also object to consumers not being given the option between postpaid and prepaid meters. The UPERC, in its tariff order, announced on Saturday, did not directly address many consumers' apprehensions about and objections to smart prepaid metering, arguing the matter was sub judice in several states....