Energy dept joins hands with UD dept to curb illegal power connections

Minister directs EEs, AEEs to strictly follow the rules

The Department of Energy has joined hands with the Urban Development Department in a move to curb unauthorised electricity connections in the cities across the State. Houses that do not posess occupancy certificate from the urban development authorities, will not be given regular power connections until and unless they get the occupancy certificate, declared Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.

He was addressing mediapersons during his visit to the city to participate in Onam celebrations organised by Kerala Samajam, on Sunday. He said that temporary electricity connections that are given to the under construction buildings will not be made permanent if the building owner fails to get necessary license and occupancy certificate from the urban local bodies.

Often the Escom used to regularise electricity connections out of pressure from various quarters. But now, the department has directed the executive engineers and assistant executive engineers to strictly follow the rules, failing which the officials concerned will be held responsible, he warned.

Grievance meetings
The department has also come up with an idea of organising electricity grievance meetings at constituency level and section level. Announcing it before the reporters, Minister D K Shivakumar said:

 “The MLA of a particular constituency will chair the meeting in the presence of executive engineer. The constituency level committee will comprise of six members and meetings will be held once in two months to listen to the grievances of general public. AEE will chair the section level meeting, with farmers and traders being its members. Transformer problems, theft cases, pending applications and other such problems could be discussed in the meeting. Both the meetings will be held in respective panchayats.”

In an attempt to avoid the installation of transformers on public land, the Minister said that apartments above 5,000 sq ft area will be made to install transformers within the premises.

The High Court has been repeatedly directing to remove the transformers from the roadside. Twenty four hours helplines will be opened in all Escoms on the lines of Bescom, to attend the customers.

The department has ordered all the stations to store additional transformers and the breaking down of transformers should be addressed within 24 hours in cities and three days in villages. AEEs will be made to pay penalty if they fail to address the problem without the stipulated time, D K Shivakumar said.

Further, the energy minister said that the third phase of Niranthara Jyothi scheme will be implemented in the State this year. The scheme assures 24 hours uninterrupted three phase power supply to households.

Commenting on the power situation in the State, he said that the situation is under control due to good rains.

The State can achieve self-sufficiency by 2016, as the it will start generating 3000 MW thermal electricity and 1,000 MW solar power.