Special Correspondent
Panaji/Margao
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday took a decision to put the installation of electricity smart meters on hold.
Many ministers, including Minister for Public Works Digambar Kamat, and several MLAs had objected to the smart meters.
The electricity department has also been directed to put on hold the penalty that was being levied on consumers for increased load usage.
The Chief Minister instructed the electricity department to verify the sanctioned load of consumers and ensure that electricity bills are checked strictly. The directions were issued to the Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE).
Consumers who have been penalised should get their sanctioned load verified with the electricity department. If required, the department will issue a letter for increasing the sanctioned load, Sawant said. Those who have already paid the penalty should submit a representation to the department for verification. The electricity department will initially take up verification of commercial and industrial connections, followed by residential power consumers.
Implementation of the electricity smart meters will be undertaken only after the connection verification drive is completed and issues relating to sanctioned loads and billing are streamlined, the Chief Minister said.
Earlier in the day, Power Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar defended the rollout of smart meters, stating that the project was a mandatory nationwide initiative directed by the central government.
Responding to protests and opposition led by Margao MLA Kamat over the high electricity bills received by residents, Dhavalikar said that they were caused by domestic consumers exceeding their sanctioned loads during peak summer rather than faulty meters.
When pressed by media or local leaders about the public outcry, Dhavalikar replied, “Ask CM Pramod Sawant,” signalling that policy-level intervention lay with the Chief Minister. Kamat had earlier sought intervention of the Chief Minister to waive off the penalty charges on electricity bills. He had urged the public to only pay for the consumption charges and withhold the penalty charges.
Accompanying a delegation of residents of Margao, along with hotel owners, Kamat came down heavily on the department for not considering the hardships faced by the common man, who, he said, was unaware of the technicalities of increase in load.
He said that an increase in electrical load is a phenomenon found in every household. “As standard of living improves, people upgrade their equipment. Consequently, it was the responsibility of the department to conduct a door-to-door survey to pass on information and guide consumers regarding this increase in load, which has simply not happened,” Kamat said.
Later speaking to reporters, he said he spoke to the Chief Minister and urged him to waive the penalty charges and give time to the citizens to increase their load.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Friday, demanded that the Power Minister immediately withdraw all sanctioned-load penalties and provide consumers with a minimum three-month window to regularise and increase their sanctioned load without penalty. It warned that if the government failed to announce relief measures by Friday evening, the party, along with the affected citizens, would organise a protest march to the minister’s residence.
Earlier in the day, ‘Citizens for Democracy’ sought police intervention to prevent the forceful replacement of the existing electricity meters.
