Goa, June 13 -- The Goa government on Friday executed a dramatic halt to its controversial smart me ter programme, with Chief Min ister Pramod Sawant announc ing that the rollout has been put on hold amid mounting public anger over inflated electricity bills, sanctioned-load penalties and allegations that consumers were being pushed into a sys tem they neither understood nor wanted. The decision marks the first major acknowledgment by the gov ernment that the implementation of smart meters and related billing practices had triggered widespread distrust among consumers across the State. For months, residents, activists, opposition leaders and even rul ing-party legislators had raised con cerns that the Electricity Depart ment was pressing ...