Mumbai (PTI): Adani Group on Thursday bagged two contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore from a state-owned discom to install smart meters.
A total of six tenders were awarded by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to install smart meters, of which two have been bagged by the Adani Group, according to an official communiqu from the discom seen by PTI.
The diversified group, which has a sizeable presence in the power sector and had recently won a Rs 1,000 crore contract to install smart meters in the area serviced by BEST Undertaking in Mumbai, will act as an advanced metering infrastructure service provider for smart prepaid metering in MSEDCL, it said.
The two zones awarded to Adani include Bhandup, Kalyan and Konkan having 63.44 lakh meters, and Baramati and Pune having 52.45 lakh meters, it said.
Letter of Awards have been issued to the successful firms, as per the communiqu .
Officials from Adani Group were not immediately available for comment.
The group's transmission arm Adani Energy Solutions, which was earlier known as Adani Transmission, is active in the smart meter segment.
According to sources in the know, with these wins, Adani Group will emerge as the largest smart meter supplier in the country, commanding a 30 per cent share of the market. It has already won contracts to install such meters in four to five states.
Other entities which have also been awarded with orders include NCC in two zones. Two entities -- Montecarlo and Genus -- have won one contract each.
NCC has been awarded the contracts for two zones, namely Nashik and Jalgaon (28.86 lakh meters for Rs 3,461 crore) and Latur, Nanded and Aurangabad (27.77 lakh meters for Rs 3,330 crore).
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Dibrugarh/Jorhat (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed India's neighbours wanted to "break up" Assam by taking advantage of the unrest here earlier, but their "dreams were shattered" as the Narendra Modi government brought peace to the region.
Militancy has come to an end, and 92 per cent of the assurances made in the peace agreements with various groups have already been implemented, he told a poll rally.
Fadnavis maintained that the BJP-led government in Assam has not only ensured the state's development but also protected its identity.
He accused the Congress of having neglected the state and the northeastern region by adopting a "step-motherly attitude" towards them, while Modi has put the region at the centre of development.
Addressing a rally in support of BJP's Dibrugarh candidate Prasanta Phukan, Fadnavis said, "Due to the unrest in the state earlier, neighbouring countries thought they would break Assam someday. But their dreams were shattered by Modi ji, and Assam is progressing fast today."
Crediting the BJP government for bringing the militant groups to the mainstream, the Maharashtra chief minister said not only were peace accords signed with them, but 92 per cent of the assurances made have been implemented.
"Work is on for implementing the remaining eight per cent of promises also," he added.
Highlighting the various welfare measures of the state government, Fadnavis said special emphasis was being given on women's empowerment in line with the Centre's thrust on it.
"Women have benefited the most under Modiji's government. It will be 'Mahila raaj' from 2029 when 33 per cent reservation is implemented in Parliament and state Assemblies," he added.
Speaking at another rally in support of the BJP's Jorhat candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami earlier, the Maharashtra chief minister alleged that infiltration was at its peak in Assam under Congress governments.
"People had to launch a movement against it, and scores were martyred. But the influx did not stop, and the state was burning. It was staring at a full demographic change."
"But the situation changed when Modi came to power. Infiltration has been stopped, and almost all militant groups in the state are returning to the mainstream," he claimed.
Fadnavis claimed that the state's demography would have changed and Assam's history would have been rewritten under the Congress rule.
"But the Modi government works not just for development, but also protects the state's identity, culture, history, and tradition," he said.
He told the gathering that the BJP-led government has ensured massive infrastructure development for the state.
Mentioning the Tata Group's semiconductor unit at Jagiroad, Fadnavis said, "It is a gift of Modi ji to Assam. It will place the state on the global map."
He added that countries with the ability to manufacture semiconductors will be global leaders in the future, and India has joined the elite ranks of a handful of nations.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Fadnavis alleged it had always adopted a "step-motherly attitude" towards the northeast, due to which the region did not see much development, and was embroiled in unrest.
He also criticised the opposition party for its "anti-national stance" during the West Asia crisis, claiming it was trying to create discontentment among the people by raising false doubts over the availability of LPG and fuel.
"We had also been in the opposition, but we had never acted in such a shameful manner," he said.
Taking a dig at state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the opposition party's candidate in Jorhat, Fadnavis said, "Those in Lok Sabha should remain there. BJP will return to power, and he will have no work here."
Gogoi is also the opposition party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
