‘Tangedco should disconnect service connections that violate building rules’

The Coimbatore Consumer Cause has demanded the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) to disconnect all connections given after March 18, 2021 that do not comply with the Tamil Nadu Combined Building Development Rules, 2019.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of the consumer organisation, said all electricity connections released in violation of the Tamil Nadu Combined Building Development Rules 2019 after March 18, 2021 were illegal. The High Court had directed Tangedco to comply strictly with the rules.

However, Tangedco issued its instructions on April 16, 2021 releasing new connections to all buildings upto 12 metres height, irrespective of size and usage. This was a contempt of court and the Coimbatore Consumer Cause filed a petition with the court again. The court admitted the petition and stayed implementation of Tangedco’s April order. The Chief Engineer, Tangedco Coimbatore, had issued instructions to follow the court order.

Yet, Tangedco had again failed to implement even the stay order by court and released new connections in violation of the Rules and the court order.

According to a RTI reply, nearly 4,900 connections were released after the stay order from August 20 to September 1 across the State. It was alleged that in some places officials continued to release connections. Disrespecting the court order was another contempt of court action, he said.

Hence, Tangedco should take action against all the officials who released connections in violation of the building rules and the court order. It should disconnect all such connection since they were provided illegally and ensure that no new connections were released in violation of the building rules.