Citizens for Democracy has once again cautioned Goans to remain vigilant over the installa tion of smart electricity meters by the State government, while also challenging Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar to an open public de bate on the issue. Addressing a press conference in Margao, convenor Elvis Gomes said that the clarification provid ed by the Minister has only add ed to the confusion rather than addressing public concerns. He demanded that the Minister place a detailed study report on smart meters in the public domain. “The Minister claims to have studied the matter. If so, the re port should be shared with the people. He has stated that citizens have not understood the issue, but it is the responsibility of the government to clearly explain it, which it has failed to do,” Gomes said.
He further argued that provi sions under the Electricity Act require consumer consent before installing smart meters. “The Act clearly mentions that meters cannot be installed without the consent of the consumer. Even in Parliament, the concerned Union Minister clarified that consent is mandatory. Why is the State vio lating these provisions?” he ques tioned. Gomes also alleged that the me ters currently being installed lack proper verification. “The law re quires the installation of accurate and certified meters. However, this has not been ensured. In fact, all smart meters being installed should be seized until their au thenticity is verified,” he said. Raising safety concerns, Gomes questioned whether any inde pendent study has been conduct ed on the impact of smart meters on consumers. “Has any assess ment been done regarding con sumer safety?
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Has the radiation from these devices been evalu ated? Without addressing these concerns and clarifying legal vi olations, the government cannot forcibly install smart meters,” he asserted. He warned that citizens could face adverse effects in the fu ture if due diligence is not car ried out now. Gomes stressed the need for greater transparen cy in the implementation of the project. Appealing to the public to re main alert, he said the organi sation is open to a public debate on the issue. “We are ready for an open discussion on smart meters. The Minister should also show willingness to participate in such a debate,” he added. Meanwhile, Madganvcho Awaaz leader Prabhav Naik pointed to what he called contradictions between Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar’s public statements and official data placed in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Naik said the Minister has claimed the project is largely Cen tre-funded, but a July 2025 LAQ reply reportedly shows a total cost of around Rs 890 crore, of which only Rs 70.11 crore is Cen tral share, while Rs 820.01 crore falls on the State. He said this contradiction was “too glaring to ignore” and added that even with repayment spread over 93 months, it remains a ma jor burden on taxpayers.
