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Power minister warns developers against exploiting residents in name of single-point connections
NOIDA:
NOIDA:
In a big relief to people residing in high-rises in Noida and Ghaziabad, the state government has ordered builders to give multipoint connections to homebuyers, replacing single-point connections, and not to exploit them at their “whims and fancies”.
State power minister Shrikant Sharma, while chairing a review meeting with officials of the Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) in Noida regarding the progress in conversion of single-point connection to multipoint connections in high-rises, said he had received number of complaints from people about hiked electricity prices from builders.
“The state government is determined to bring relief to those who have opted for community living in areas like Greater Noida, Noida and Ghaziabad. People living in high-rises have repeated been complaining that builders are taking extra money from them as part of their electricity bills. In the name of power backup, the builders ask for around Rs 10-12 per unit – which is illegal in any case,” he said.
Sharma said the project of fragmenting single-point connections aims at saving consumers from the exorbitant electricity charges being collected by developers. “The time has come for builders to give multipoint connections to their clients, replacing single-point connections. They can’t impose unnecessary burden on them. I have asked PVVNL officials to take legal action against builders who are trying to harass residents,” he said.
The power minister said under the pilot project of conversion of single-point conections to multipoint in Noida, 14 out of 142 high-rises have given their consent for giving individual connections to residents.
“Conversion work has been completed in six societies and work will soon be over in the remaining eight high rises. Since our government is providing adequate electricity to every consumer in the state, the consumers now trust us more. We’ll not let them be exploited by developers who are virtually subletting them electricity,” he said.
The minister asked for timely redressal of consumers’ grievances and ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Developers, however, are not in favour of multipoint connections on technical grounds.
“Multipoint connection in high-rises is not a good idea due to safety reasons. A single-point connection is always better in terms of safety. Maintenance of the infrastructure is also better. If any developer or apartment owner association is overcharging, then there is a way to file a complaint and solve the issue. But a multipoint connection is not a way out as it will create more problems,” said Amit Modi, vice-president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), a developers’ group.
The apartment owners said the multipoint connection should be strictly implemented.
“As of now, single-point connections are not converted into multiple point because a fee of Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 is being imposed. We have demanded that the conversion fee for multipoint connections should be very nominal. Multipoint connections will provide relief to consumers as they can pay as per consumption without having to argue with the developer or AOA that controls the electricity supply in single-point connections,” said Rajiva Singh, president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association (NOFAA), an umbrella body of at least 100 high-rise housing societies.
