Goa, May 9 -- A fresh wave of public criticism has erupted in Goa after Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and Electricity Department's Smart Meter Nodal Officer and Superintendent Engineer Mayur Hede reiterated on Thursday that the installation of smart electricity meters is 'mandatory', triggering an immediate backlash from citizens' groups, activists, and sections of consumers who insist the government has no legal or moral authority to enforce such a rollout without consent. "When the Union Power Minister, on the floor of the Lok Sabha on April 2, 2026, stated the correct legal position that smart meters are only by consent of the consumer, the issue stands settled. What is happening in Goa is bizarre," said Elvis Gomes of Citizens for D...