Consumer organisation in Coimbatore demands Tangedco to withdraw recent clarification on issuing electricity connection

Tangedco's recent clarification on providing electricity connections to exempted buildings violates building rules and court orders.

A clarification issued by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) recently on providing service connection to buildings that are exempted from building completion certificate (for electricity connection) is reportedly in violation of the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules and High Court order.

In a clarification issued early this month, the Tangedco has said that electricity connection can be given to buildings (in the exempted category) based on the building plan approval and physical verification of the building height is not necessary.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said that in the case of non-exempted category, building completion certificate from a competent authority was a must to get electricity service connection. And the completion certificate could be issued only if the building was constructed according to the approved plan.

In the exempted category (domestic buildings), building completion certificate was not asked for if the building had three or lesser dwellings, was not more than 12 metres high and not more than 750 sq.mt.

“In the name of issuing clarification, the Director Distribution of Tangedco had violated the High Court order and Government Rules,” he said.

For instance, if a building was to be built only for four floors according to the building plan, but it was constructed for 10 floors, it would move from the exempted category to the non-exempted category. But the Tangedco clarification said electricity connection could be given for the four floors. Even the safety certificate was not required. This defeated the very purpose of the building rules, he said.

In respect of the non-exempted category, new connections could be provided for the building, only if the completion certificate was produced for the building. If the approval obtained was only for four floors and the building was constructed for 10 floors, completion certificate could not be issued as it was illegal construction.