Hyderabad: Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL), in a massive crackdown on illegal constructions, issued show-cause notices to approximately 60 engineers for authorising electricity connections to buildings that did not have compulsory occupancy certificates (OCs) from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) or for not managing to detect forged and fake OCs.
According to a Times of India report, the company’s action is one of the most severe internal checks in recent times. The discom has further increased its inspection into applications for new connections. Officials reportedly found around 400 to 500 buildings and separate individual floors without the required civic permits and thus rejected their applications during the verification process.
Criminal cases have also been booked against 10 individuals and companies for “submitting” fabricated OCs to secure power connections.
The largest number of engineers served notices was recorded to be from the Cybercity circle, including assistant engineers, divisional engineers, and even superintendent engineers. Cybercity has seen rapid growth in areas such as Kondapur, Ibrahimbagh, Narsingi, Nallagandla, Tara Nagar, Hafeezpet, Rajendranagar, Gachibowli, Medchal, where construction activity has soared over the years.
The verification also reportedly found violations in the Government Order 111 areas. Construction and industrial activity are prohibited in areas surrounding the Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs in the GO. Even with prohibitions in place, electricity supply was extended to the structures built without permissions, purportedly with the help of local engineers, the TOI report said.
Reportedly, many of the engineers who were served notices were unaware that the certificates submitted were fake, forged, or partially issued, because in several cases, the builders allegedly misused a valid approval from one building to illegally service other unauthorised constructions.
Officials also claimed that the practice of unauthorised additional floors is widespread in several western city colonies, where strong rental demand forced builders to maximize floor space in violation of approved permissions.
To address the issue, the TGSPDCL has requested access to data from the MyGHMC app that will enable officials to digitally check permissions and OCs before allowing electricity connections.
Moreover, the discom action on builders has left flat owners adrift, with some claiming that due to their builder’s unauthorised action, they have to suffer.
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