Consumers: Why delay power to sanctioned buildings?

Bengaluru: "We are demanding that Electric Supply Companies (ESCOMs) give electricity connections for buildings that have already received power sanction letters and made payments for applications registered before the Occupancy Certificate (OC) and Completion Certificate (CC) mandate came into force”, said B. Kumar, Karnataka State Electrical Contractors and Consumers, speaking to News Trail on Monday.

A large group of electrical contractors, consumers, and members of the Karnataka Rajya Kattadha Karmikara Kendra Sangha staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, urging the authorities to address the prolonged delay in providing electricity connections to sanctioned buildings. “We fully respect the Supreme Court’s mandate on Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), but it is unfair that buildings registered before these regulations came into effect are now facing difficulties”, the protesters said.

They pointed out that several consumers who had completed all required procedures before the mandate are now experiencing severe inconvenience due to the continued delay in receiving electricity connections. Kumar shared that while the authorities said they would permit connections for one or two floors or G+2 buildings, thousands of approved applications, estimated between 6,000 and 5 lakh, are still pending.

He appealed to the ESCOMs and the state government to expedite the connection process for all eligible buildings, “We only seek connections for those who have already registered and fulfilled all prior obligations”, he added. Contractors also raised concern over the sharp increase in smart meter prices from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, urging the government to ensure fair and transparent pricing for consumers.

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) Director (Technical) Ramesh and Chief Engineer Malathesh received the contractors’ request letter. They assured the protestors that the matter would be examined and an appropriate response would be provided within the next two days.