There is relief ahead for residents of the Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) in Delhi who have been seeking individual electricity connections for years now.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) is considering issuing a policy that will allow households in various CGHS to shift from single-point society connections to individual ones.
In a stark contrast from last year, when it had fixed a composite tariff of Rs. 6 per unit for group housing societies to promote single-point electricity connections, the DERC this year has decided to allow residents of CGHS to get individual connections.
Some conditions
“The DERC has proposed to convert single-point connections at the CGHS into individual connections based on six conditions,” said an official of the power regulator. Comments and suggestions from the public have already been received and are being reviewed.
The conditions include technical aspects such as: the existing complete distribution system within the CGHS will have to be handed over to the discom without any monetary compensation. Besides, the additional expenditure, if required, will have to be borne by the discom considering the handing over of existing distribution network as 50 per cent of the notional funding required from CGHS.
The CGHS, on the other hand, will have to provide adequate space for installing transformers, allied equipment and meters by the licensee at no cost.
The policy, once notified, is set to benefit scores of group housing societies, particularly those in Dwarka, which has over 360 CGH societies.
Disadvantages of a
single-point system
“The erstwhile DESU had given all CGHS in Delhi a single-point power connection. When the private discoms took over, we took up the issue of conversion into individual points with them, but they said we should first finish seven years. That got over and then they said there was no policy from DERC for such a transfer. So, since October 2014, the matter has been pending with the DERC,” said Sanjeev Goyal, general secretary of the Dwarka Forum.
In a single-point system, the society is directly billed by the discom, which then collects electricity dues from consumers not knowing who consumed more or less — an aspect which residents say is the biggest disadvantage.
“The tariff for single-point connections is far more than individual connections. Many residents who use less power miss out on subsidy benefits as everything is clubbed together. Sometimes, even if we our consumption is less we are charged a uniform rate,” said Sudha Aiyyer, a resident of Shivalik CGHS in Sector-6, Dwarka.
Last year, even as the power regulator had made it mandatory for societies to raise bills from individual households to be equated with the amount paid by it to the discom, the practice has not taken off on ground.
In case all the members are not desirous to avail direct supply of electricity from distribution licensee, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission policy proposes that 50 per cent cost required for providing connection shall be borne by the applicants in the ratio of the sanctioned load of such applicants.
