‘No Electricity Connection To Unauthorized Constructions,’ Public Interest Litigation In Bombay High Court

Vasai, 13th October 2022: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court demanding that unauthorized constructions in the city should not be provided with electricity.

In 2017, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court had ruled that unauthorized constructions should not be provided with electricity.

Unauthorized constructions are rampant as electricity connections are being provided in violation of it. The petition has demanded that the electricity connections given to unauthorized constructions should be disconnected and action should be taken against the authorities providing them.

Illegal constructions are taking place on a large scale in Vasai Virar city. Foreigners come to live in this place as houses are available cheaply. Even though the constructions are unauthorized, they are leased by the municipality and are provided with water and electricity connections. These unauthorized constructions are becoming a major problem in the city. Therefore, a Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court demanding that these unauthorized constructions should not be provided with electricity. Agri Sena activist Chandu Patil filed a written petition in this regard on May 6, 2022, in the Bombay High Court. But later the court converted it into a public interest petition as it is a broad social issue and filed it.

Electricity distribution company unaware of the order:

Social activist Yogesh Vaidya had sought information under Right to Information to get information whether the decision in the Public Interest Litigation of the Nagpur Bench is applicable to the office of Vasai Mandal of the Electricity Distribution Company or not. The Chief Legal Officer of the company had given the first appeal decision that no order or letter was given to the Chief General Distribution Office in this regard. It was also said that this is an internal matter. Therefore, Chandu Patil of Agri Sena has submitted this petition in the Bombay High Court. The municipality had given information in the affidavit in the High Court that there are more than 12,000 unauthorized constructions in the city. In this public interest petition, it has also been demanded that action should be taken against the authorities who provide electricity connection to such unauthorized constructions.