Karnataka Minister K J George Clarifies IT Interaction As Routine, Denies Link To Smart Meter Project

Karnataka Energy Minister K J George stated that his recent interaction with the Income Tax Department was a routine check of company tax filings.

Karnataka Energy Minister K J George (PHOTO: IANS)

Karnataka Energy Minister K J George on Friday said the recent interaction with the Income Tax Department was a routine regulatory exercise and had no connection with the state’s smart meter initiative or any project under the Energy Department.

In a post on social media platform X, George refuted reports linking the IT searches to government contracts and clarified that the exercise was related only to the verification of income tax filings of companies associated with him.

In view of the misinformation being circulated regarding myself and the companies under my chairmanship, purportedly in connection with the pic.twitter.com/TbjS2rt3Mo

 KJ George (@thekjgeorge) August 1, 2025

George said that the interaction with the Income Tax Department was "a routine regulatory exercise solely about the verification of our companies’ income tax filings." He added, "There is no connection whatsoever to any government project or department, including the Smart Meter program or the Energy Department."

The minister's social media post comes in the wake of reports following Income Tax searches at the Embassy GolfLinks Business Park in Bengaluru earlier this week. Some reports had linked the searches to alleged irregularities in the smart metering project.

George said all teams concerned had extended full cooperation during the process and reiterated their commitment to transparency and legal compliance.

He further stated that no entity associated with the Energy Department was under any form of scrutiny. "The smart metering project in Karnataka is being implemented with complete transparency, due diligence, and adherence to all regulatory norms," he added.

The government of Karnataka's smart meter initiative, launched to curb power losses and improve billing efficiency, has been a key part of the government’s push toward a digitally enabled and accountable power sector.