Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, amid growing public concern over the installation of smart meters, inflated electricity bills, sanctioned load penalties, and with an eye on the next Assembly elections, has announced on Friday that the smart meter rollout will remain suspended until the Electricity Department completes a statewide verification of electricity connections, sanctioned loads, and disputed bills.
Sawant has asked consumers who have received unusually high bills or penalties to approach their respective Assistant Engineer or Executive Engineer offices for verification and rechecking. He has also advised people not to pay disputed bills until the verification is completed and assured that no electricity connections will be disconnected due to contested or unusually high bills during this period.
Sawant’s intervention came after PWD Minister Digambar Kamat raised concerns over rising power bills and penalty charges being levied on consumers for exceeding their sanctioned load, stating that the government should not place additional burden on ordinary citizens while addressing revenue needs. Digambar Kamat’s intervention led to the issue being taken up on priority, resulting in a temporary decision on the smart meter rollout, rising electricity bills, and penalty charges, which is expected to bring some relief to consumers in Goa.
