New Delhi, October 17, 2024: Chief minister Atishi on Wednesday announced that the Delhi government has directed power companies to provide new connections to consumers in unauthorised colonies in the city without seeking land clearances, leading to another showdown between the government and the lieutenant governor’s (LG’s) office, which also claimed credit for the same.
“The Delhi government has decided that in 1,731 colonies, there is no need to obtain a NoC for getting the electricity connection. Anyone living in these colonies can apply for electricity connection and within 15 days, they will get electricity meters,” Atishi said in a press conference.
In an order on the same day, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) attributed the directions to the LG. “Acting on the instructions of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, DDA has issued orders in supersession of all previous instructions, for providing electricity connections by the DISCOMs in land pooling areas of Delhi,” the DDA said in a statement.
“The problems being faced by the citizens with regard to electricity connection has remained under close scrutiny and constant monitoring of the Hon’ble LG. Hence, upon directions of Hon’ble LG a meeting was held in DDA in the forenoon of October 15. After detailed deliberations held in the said meeting the above decisions were taken,” the DDA said.
The DDA said: “Discoms may issue fresh electricity connections suo motu for constructions within the notified PM-UDAY colonies, lal dora, extended lal dora areas, vacant patches of private land completely encircled by PM-UDAY colonies and not situated at the periphery of the boundary of PM-UDAY colonies and cases where pre-existing permanent electricity connections were surrendered in lieu of reconstruction, renovation or change of ownership.”
The authority said that rampant unauthorised developments in land-pooling areas posed a serious threat to the implementation of land-pooling policy.
“It is pertinent to note that on all the issues raised by the discoms requiring NoC for electricity connection from DDA in respect of the 1,731 PM UDAY colonies, decision was already taken on October 10 by DDA,” an official from the LG office said.
According to the reports published in hindustantimes.com Atishi said unauthorised colonies were in poor shape 10 years ago due to a lack of basic infrastructure “but the Aam Aadmi Party government provided all possible facilities”.
“These colonies has seen a lot of development and improvement in their quality of life,” Atishi said.
BJP’s leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said: “Atishi’s announcement is the height of dishonesty because she is trying to take credit for the announcement made by the LG… LG already issued this order on October 1, and now, 15 days later, Atishi is falsely attempting to take credit for the same decision, claiming it benefits the public.”
