BENGALURU: BBMP and Bescom are working together to collate data on new electricity connections that have been obtained without occupancy certificates (OCs) since April 1.
As per data from the energy department, around one lakh applications for power connections were pending with Bescom three months ago. As of August 22, there were 59,566 pending applications. Of them, 22,450 applications, seeking power connections for residential and commercial buildings, were from Bengaluru.
“Many may have got power connections without the mandatory OCs or may have submitted fake documents. So, Bescom and BBMP officials will go through all records and ascertain how many applications are genuine,” an official from the energy department told TNIE.
Following a Supreme Court’s directive, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission issued an order that OCs are mandatory for obtaining electricity connections from April 1. During the last Assembly session, the state government held a discussion on bringing in a policy change and approaching the court to ensure that OCs are not mandatory for obtaining electricity connections.
“BBMP stopped issuing OCs after the state government approved legal recognition for B-Khata properties. BBMP has been at fault for not issuing OCs, but that does not mean that all properties are illegal. Some of course are, but the government is not taking action against them. Power and water supply connections given to unauthorised properties should be cancelled. But that is not being done,” a senior BBMP official said.