Dellhiites can apply for power connections at ‘booked properties’ of MCD: Sood

Power Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday said long-imposed restrictions on electricity connections at properties ‘booked’ by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, have now been removed.

According to Sood’s claims, in just over eight months’ duration, the Rekha Gupta government has resolved several long-pending disputes in Delhi, and also brought relief for residents of ‘booked properties,’ welcoming the significant decision by the government for allowing electricity meters to be issued even in MCD-booked properties.

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Booked properties refer to those that have been listed by the civic body for some action due to an alleged violation, or some irregularity.

Calling this a pro-people move by the government, Sood said that electricity connections that were stuck due to political reasons will now be issued, except in cases of demolitions and sealing.

Addressing the media, the minister said that the government has already simplified complex licensing related procedures for commercial activities and restaurants etc, which he called an important step towards ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in Delhi.

According to the minister, recently, major reforms were also introduced in the Fire Department, where a new web portal was launched for the process of renewing license, making the entire procedure simpler than before.

With this public-interest decision, more than 1,25,000 booked properties will receive direct relief. If viewed floor-wise, the number of affected consumers runs into lakhs.

Earlier such people, whose properties had been flagged by the civic body had to use expensive temporary connections, borrow electricity, use generators etc, which Sood said often resulted in misuse and exploitation.

Hitting out at the previous AAP government, the minister alleged that they had deliberately created complications for issuing electricity connections in MCD booked properties due to political pressure, making it extremely difficult for people to obtain a legal connection.