Most areas in the Manipur capital do not receive power for more than two-three hours a day. The rural districts in the state barely receive any power at all. The Manipur government now believes it has the answer,in prepaid electricity cards,on the lines of prepaid cellphone cards. In another month,residents may be able to not only buy these prepaid cards but recharge them. We believe this will be an effective solution to not only curbing electricity theft but ensuring that paying customers are able to enjoy longer periods of electricity whatever they pay for,they will get, says Chief Engineer,Power,Sarat Singh. Manipur generates a paltry 40 MW of electricity,while the entire demand is estimated at not more than 140 MW by official figures. This excess power is drawn from other states such as Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. So on one hand we have this extremely low generation of power. On the other,a lot is lost in transmission and distribution and due to power theft (including massive non-payment of bills), adds Singh. Since people tend to consume as much electricity as they can during the brief hours that it is supplied,the system often trips. With prepaid cards,this can be checked. Singh promises to ensure 18 hours of electricity everyday to those who can afford it soon,followed eventually by power 24 If the pilot project being implemented by a Jaipur-based private concern is successful,it will be extended to the entire state. We are planning to install digital screens at homes. The consumer will get alerts on the amount of power used that day, adds Singh. In case a consumer runs out of charge,time will be given to refill the card.
