Mandatory Smart Meters Implementation Upholds Judicial Discipline, Argues Karnataka High Court
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed two petitions that questioned the mandatory installation of smart prepaid electricity meters, citing judicial discipline and the fact that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the same issue is already pending before a division bench.
In recent hearings, concerns were raised about the high cost of smart meters in Karnataka compared to other states. The petitions argued that the cost, around Rs 8,800 to Rs 8,900, was excessively high compared to the approximately Rs 900 charged in neighboring states. The court emphasized this large price discrepancy and expressed concern about its impact on poorer consumers.
During the hearings, the Advocate General assured the court that the government would not enforce smart meter installation on residential consumers who were not new electricity consumers. This assurance formed part of the judicial reasoning for dismissing the petitions. The petitioners, including residents from Doddaballapur, had challenged official communications from electricity provider BESCOM outlining this mandate.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna made a strong pitch for judicial discipline in his order, stating that the current petitions are not entertainable due to the requirement of hierarchy and propriety.
In summary, the Karnataka High Court's rejection centered on:
- Respecting judicial hierarchy due to a pending related PIL before the division bench
- Concerns over the high cost of smart meters compared to other states
- Assurance from the Advocate General protecting existing residential consumers from mandatory installation
The petitioners face challenges related to procedural judicial discipline, high meter pricing, and limitations in contesting the mandate while the related PIL remains unresolved.
The rejection of the petitions by the Karnataka High Court was based on the ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the same issue, highlighting the importance of judicial hierarchy and propriety. The politics surrounding policy-and-legislation on smart meter installation in Karnataka has brought general-news attention due to the significant price discrepancy between Karnataka and neighboring states, impacting consumers, especially the poorer ones.
