Dhaka, Feb. 6 -- Around 0.4 million smart pre-payment meters imported under Dhaka Power Distribution Company's (DPDC) long-delayed smart-metering project are lying idle in warehouses, raising concerns about possible technical deterioration and inefficient use of public funds.

Nearly eight years after the project was approved in 2018 with an initial estimated cost of Tk 6.58 billion and a scheduled completion deadline of June 2021, installation of the targeted 0.85 million meters remains far from complete due to persistent technical and operational challenges, sources said.

"Although 0.65 million meters have been imported, only about 0.25 million have been installed, leaving the rest unused for an extended period," a senior Planning Comm...