The urban development department (UDD) announced that it has dropped the conditional clause of occupancy certificate (OC) for availing electricity connection.
These households had been deprived of power supply due to non-possession of the certificate.
Previously, to control rampant violation of building bylaws, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had refused to provide electricity connection to such buildings. As a result, several individual houses and apartment complexes that had failed to get OC from BBMP were deprived of electricity connection. However, as per the latest order, any household with identity proof and proof of ownership documents can opt for electricity connection from Bescom.
Agitated citizens had repeatedly petitioned the state government to revoke the clause. Besides, the commerce and industries department and Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) had also appealed to the government to withdraw the clause and provide such households with electricity connections.
The state government then wrote to Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) about the same. Holding hearings on the issue, KERC okayed the proposal, resulting in an official notification from the government.
Energy minister V Sunil Kumar said: “Our government’s motto is ‘Electricity to All’. Accordingly, we are working towards providing power supply to every household in Bengaluru and other parts of the state. Along with residents, all MLAs from Bengaluru too had appealed to us to withdraw the clause. Now, people can get power connection just by submitting ID and ownership proof of their household.”