<p>Bengaluru: Nearly two months after Bescom made Occupancy Certificates (OCs) mandatory for power connections to new buildings, over 50,000 applications are pending in Bengaluru alone, according to the Energy Department.</p>.<p>The number crosses one lakh across Bescom’s entire jurisdiction, though the utility has no exact count as applications continue to pile up.</p>.<p>Electrical contractors said the rule has been applied even to applications filed before the mandate, leaving many residents in the lurch.</p>.<p>"The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) introduced this on April 4, 2025. Several applications submitted earlier are still pending, and officials are now demanding OCs,” said C Ramesh, president, Karnataka State Licensed Electrical Contractors Association (KSLECA).</p>.<p>Ramesh estimated the backlog could exceed 88,000, if pre-mandate applications are counted.</p>.<p>Another contractor added that many of his clients were unaware of the new rule and now face difficulties.</p>.<p>"A large number of properties are built on revenue sites without proper documentation. And there are by-law violations. Buyers invested lakhs without knowing about this mandate. Now, the government introduces the mandate and owners are stranded,” the contractor said.</p>.<p>While Bescom cited a Supreme Court order for the move, Ramesh argued that sudden decisions like this hurt the public. The situation has also stalled payments to contractors as clients await power supply.</p>.<p>"As per contracts, a portion of the payments is made after the power supply is sanctioned. With applications stuck, many clients are withholding payments though our work is complete,” said Shekhar B, another contractor.</p>.<p><span class="bold">By-law changes in the works</span></p>.<p>Energy Minister K J George said on Thursday that the department was considering by-law amendments to address the issue.</p>.<p>The chief secretary has been asked to draft a proposal, which will be placed before the cabinet soon, George said. “We will discuss in the cabinet meeting and evolve a solution soon,” he added.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Nearly two months after Bescom made Occupancy Certificates (OCs) mandatory for power connections to new buildings, over 50,000 applications are pending in Bengaluru alone, according to the Energy Department.</p>.<p>The number crosses one lakh across Bescom’s entire jurisdiction, though the utility has no exact count as applications continue to pile up.</p>.<p>Electrical contractors said the rule has been applied even to applications filed before the mandate, leaving many residents in the lurch.</p>.<p>"The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) introduced this on April 4, 2025. Several applications submitted earlier are still pending, and officials are now demanding OCs,” said C Ramesh, president, Karnataka State Licensed Electrical Contractors Association (KSLECA).</p>.<p>Ramesh estimated the backlog could exceed 88,000, if pre-mandate applications are counted.</p>.<p>Another contractor added that many of his clients were unaware of the new rule and now face difficulties.</p>.<p>"A large number of properties are built on revenue sites without proper documentation. And there are by-law violations. Buyers invested lakhs without knowing about this mandate. Now, the government introduces the mandate and owners are stranded,” the contractor said.</p>.<p>While Bescom cited a Supreme Court order for the move, Ramesh argued that sudden decisions like this hurt the public. The situation has also stalled payments to contractors as clients await power supply.</p>.<p>"As per contracts, a portion of the payments is made after the power supply is sanctioned. With applications stuck, many clients are withholding payments though our work is complete,” said Shekhar B, another contractor.</p>.<p><span class="bold">By-law changes in the works</span></p>.<p>Energy Minister K J George said on Thursday that the department was considering by-law amendments to address the issue.</p>.<p>The chief secretary has been asked to draft a proposal, which will be placed before the cabinet soon, George said. “We will discuss in the cabinet meeting and evolve a solution soon,” he added.</p>