DATA SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN REC LIMITED AND J-PAL

DATA SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN REC LIMITED AND J-PAL

Context:

REC Limited, a public infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia are collaborating to create an annual, data-based assessment of 79 public and private power distribution companies (DISCOMS) across India to improve consumer service delivery and ensure reliable electricity supply to consumers.

About the Partnership:

• Under this partnership, REC and J-PAL South Asia will work together to obtain available information on DISCOMS services to find ways and to find gaps in the quality of power supply.
• These data repositories will be used to create a “consumer service index” that will rank companies based on dimensions of service delivery, grievance redressal systems, supply hours, and billing details and timelines among others.
• The REC and J-PAL South Asia will address the challenges faced by DISCOMS arising from this yearly assessment as well as testing and evaluating potential solutions using randomized trials.
• J-PAL South Asia will also conduct measurement studies to evaluate the effectiveness of solutions such as smart metering for more accurate and transparent billing systems and other programs developed by the REC.

Significance of the Partnership:

• Through this partnership, REC and J-PAL South Asia aim to provide a clear and evidence-based DISCOMS corridor to identify gaps in their services and ensure the provision of more reliable home power in line with electricity (Consumer Rights 2020 Acts.