Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: While welcoming the State government’s decision to halt the implementation of smart meters in Goa, Madganvcho Awaaz and youth leader Prabhav Naik has questioned who will be held accountable for the nearly ₹890 crore reportedly committed to the project.
Naik said that stopping the rollout addresses public concerns only partially and does not answer questions surrounding the financial commitments already made. Referring to information placed before the Goa Legislative Assembly, he claimed that approximately ₹890 crore had been committed for the procurement and implementation of smart meters.
“The people of Goa deserve to know how such a significant financial decision was taken, who approved it and who will be held responsible. Public funds must be spent with complete transparency and accountability,” he said.
Madganvcho Awaaz also alleged that the visit of Margao MLA-turned-PWD Minister Digambar Kamat to the Electricity Department on Friday, shortly before Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant announced the suspension of the project, was a political exercise intended to claim credit for a decision that was already under consideration.
Naik called for a comprehensive review of the entire smart meter project to examine whether proper procedures and due diligence were followed and why concerns now acknowledged by the government were not addressed earlier.
He maintained that halting the project should not end the matter, asserting that those responsible for committing hundreds of crores of public money to the initiative must be identified and held accountable before the people of Goa.
