Seeks full disclosure of contract terms; alleges lack of transparency
MARGAO
A day after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant issued a directive to halt the controversial smart meter rollout, consumer rights advocacy group Citizens for Democracy has intensified its demand for a comprehensive investigation into the project.
The group has called upon the Goa government to fully disclose the scope and terms of its Rs 890-crore contract with a private vendor, alleging a severe lack of transparency and a blatant violation of consumer rights.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Citizens for Democracy convener and former top bureaucrat, Elvis Gomes, stated that the State government has consistently sought to “conceal more than reveal” throughout the implementation process. “Transparency is the hallmark of good governance,” said Gomes. “What we are witnessing is completely bizarre. The Electricity Department has completely disregarded explicit clarifications from the Union Minister for Power, who stated that smart meters are optional, not mandatory.”
Gomes emphasised that forcing these installations onto citizens violates the fundamental right to consent. He warned that the group will aggressively pursue the matter until it is fully resolved, noting that inflation is already crushing households. “With diesel, petrol, and gas prices skyrocketing, forcing higher electricity bills on citizens is like rubbing salt into a wound,” Gomes added.
The group has also raised serious questions regarding the financial legitimacy of the project under the Central government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
Citizens for Democracy member Amarnath Gaonkar openly labelled the Rs 890-crore rollout a “scam” and an “open loot” of the State treasury. Gaonkar pointed out that the RDSS scheme is for states whose power distribution companies (DISCOMs) suffer financial losses exceeding 12%. “Goa’s DISCOM is the Electricity Department itself, and its losses stand at just 8%,” Gaonkar stated. “Therefore, spending Rs 890 crore from the public treasury—only to pass that financial burden onto the consumer—is entirely unjustified.”
Gaonkar strongly criticised Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, accusing him of actively misleading the public on the necessity and legality of the project.
Smart meter halt triggers accountability demand
MARGAO: Madganvcho Awaaz youth leader Prabhav Naik has welcomed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s decision to halt the rollout of smart meters in Goa but said the move does not address accountability for the expenditure already committed to the project.
Citing information placed before the Goa Legislative Assembly, Naik said nearly Rs 890 crore has been earmarked for the procurement and implementation of smart meters. “The people of Goa have every right to know how such a huge financial decision was taken, who approved it and who will be held responsible. Public money cannot be spent without transparency and accountability,” he said.
Naik demanded a comprehensive review of the project to determine whether due diligence was followed and why concerns now acknowledged by the government were ignored for so long.
He said the public deserves full disclosure of all decisions and expenditure linked to the project. “Stopping the project may be the first step, but it cannot become a full stop on accountability. Those responsible for committing hundreds of crores of public funds to a controversial project must be identified and held answerable before the people of Goa,” Naik said.
