Give new connections in 7 days, Tangedco tells field officials

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation has instructed field officials to strictly adhere to the schedule and meet the standards specified under the Distribution Standards of Performance (DSOP) Regulations amid complaints of delays in new service connections.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has made amendments to the DSOP Regulations and notified them on February 21, 2024. According to the amended DSOP Regulation (4) (4), every distribution licensee must provide electricity supply to premises within one week (seven working days) of receiving the application. Additionally, for supply of electricity without extension or improvement work for LT, the supply should be given preferably within three days, but not exceeding seven days, as specified in the schedule.

The Tangedco’s director distribution emphasised that Chief Engineers of the Distribution region should ensure that officials follow the time schedule and meet the specified standards for various service areas without fail.

Furthermore, Superintendent Engineers of the Electricity Distribution Circles are requested to forward the amendments to the DSOP Regulations published in the Tamil Nadu Government’s Gazette up to the level of section officers for implementation. These regulations should also be discussed regularly in the distribution review meetings. The SEs should ensure that all section officers strictly follow the regulations to prevent any irregularities in providing new service connections.

It may be noted that K Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, complained to the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) about the delay in providing new service connections due to the unavailability of single-phase meters.

In his complaint on May 10, he stated that despite previous complaints made on February 19 and March 26, many people have been waiting for more than a month and some since March 24, for their connection. He also noted that Tangedco fails to pay automatic compensation as per DSOP to all eligible consumers for delays exceeding seven days.