Panaji, September 2: The issue of rising electricity bills and smart meters triggered heated scenes in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, with all seven Opposition MLAs entering the Well of the House after alleging that Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar failed to give a specific assurance on reducing the burden on domestic consumers.

Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai pressed the government to spell out a clear timeline and concrete measures for reducing domestic electricity bills. He also questioned the smart-meter rollout and sought clarity on whether consumers would have a choice between conventional meters and prepaid smart meters.

Responding to the debate, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant maintained that Goa’s domestic electricity tariffs were competitive and declared that if any other State offered electricity at a lower tariff, Goa would reduce its rates accordingly.

Sawant also said installation of smart meters for domestic consumers had presently been kept on hold, while installations for commercial consumers would continue. He cited domestic tariffs of ₹2.10 per unit up to 100 units, ₹3.10 for consumption up to 300 units and ₹4.15 in the higher consumption slab mentioned during the discussion.

Sardesai, however, challenged the government over the actual burden faced by consumers, particularly at higher consumption levels, and Opposition members demanded a categorical notification and commitment on the floor of the House.

Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, meanwhile, said relief had already been extended to consumers, claiming that around ₹32 crore collected through additional power charges had been returned through adjustments in electricity bills. He also said load-related relief measures would continue until March 2027.

The Opposition remained dissatisfied, arguing that the government had failed to give a clear commitment on when and how domestic power bills would actually come down. The confrontation eventually saw all seven Opposition MLAs descend into the Well, turning the electricity tariff issue into one of the sharpest face-offs of the three-day Assembly session.