Overview
- The Goa Human Rights Commission issued an inquiry report on Friday that found no human-rights violation in the state’s smart meter installations and said the rollout is authorised by the Electricity Act, 2003 and amended Central Electricity Authority rules.
- The commission directed the electricity department to issue notices before replacing existing working meters at consumers’ premises, and the appointed amicus curiae argued that individual three-day notices cannot be replaced by general public advertisements.
- The GHRC concluded there is no material to show electricity consumption data from smart meters violates the right to privacy under Article 21 and found claims that meters or their network pose health hazards were not supported by expert evidence.
- The electricity department said it will wait for government clearance before resuming broad household replacements even as installations continue for industrial, commercial users and new domestic connections; the state reports about 55,000 smart meters in service and a target of 100,000 for 2026–27 under the Centre-funded RDSS.
- Legal and policy questions remain because the commission’s remit was limited to human-rights issues, and observers warn the ruling does not settle separate administrative or statutory disputes that could still shape how the rollout proceeds.