HC notice to Centre, DERC on plea seeking power connections for Pak Hindu migrants in Delhi

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): The High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union of India, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and others on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking electricity connection for 200 "Hindu minority migrants families" currently living in north Delhi without electricity for the past few years.
The bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Amit Bansal on Tuesday sought a response from the Central government through its concerned ministries, DERC, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Electricity Service Provider company and listed the matter for further hearing on October 22, 2021.
The petitioner Hariom, a social activist sought electricity connections by way of either prepaid or post-paid electricity meters for people "living in very poor conditions without the electricity and are facing Delhi's extreme weather without any help from the government authorities from the last few years."
The pleas said that a refugee camp in North Delhi is in a dire state and the "Pakistani Hindus have been requesting for permanent electricity connection in the camp since last three years."
"Unfortunately, their requests have fallen upon deaf ears of the concerned authorities. There are children staying in the Camps and are not able to exercise their basic right to education due to the absence of electricity. These children are already facing many hurdles and the absence of electricity has made their life worse," it stated.
Advocates Rohit Madan, Akash Vajpai and Samiksha appearing for the petitioner further stated that the "provisions in the Electricity Act, 2003 make it amply clear that a distribution licensee has a statutory duty to supply electricity to an owner or occupier of any premises located in the area of supply of electricity of the distribution licensee, if such owner or occupier of the premises applies for it, and correspondingly every owner or occupier of any premises has a statutory right to apply for and obtain such electric supply from the distribution licensee."
The plea also stated that Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) has earlier refused to give electricity connection to the camp on the ground that since these people are non-citizens and do not have any occupancy proof they cannot be given electricity connection.
"Whereby it would be pertinent to mention here that these Hindu minority migrants have their Identity Proof like Aadhar Cards, Passport ( Pakistani) and Long Term Visa (LTV) to prove their identity and occupancy of premises but still TPDDL refused to give electricity connection," added the plea. (ANI)