Delhi allows power connections for ‘booked properties’

In a major policy shift aimed at providing relief to thousands of residents, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved a proposal allowing electricity connections to be issued to ‘booked properties’ — homes flagged by the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MC) for unauthorised construction.

The Delhi Government has issued an official order following the approval, paving the way for more than 1.25 lakh families to obtain electricity connections that were previously denied.

The decision, the Chief Minister said, was taken in public interest to ensure that no citizen was deprived of essential services due to prolonged administrative delays.

Gupta said lakhs of people across the Capital had been living in such properties for years, many without access to legal electricity connections.

In several cases, she said, demolition orders issued by the MC were never acted upon, leaving residents in limbo.

According to the government, DISCOMs had been receiving numerous complaints from residents whose connections were either denied or disconnected on the grounds that their properties were tagged as ‘booked’.

Gupta said the new order would end this practice and help curb electricity theft, which had risen in many areas where legal connections were not allowed. Under the revised guidelines, electricity distribution companies can no longer deny a connection simply because a property has been booked for unauthorised construction. A connection may only be refused if the MC formally certifies that demolition or sealing work is actively underway at the site. To avoid confusion or conflicting information, the government has also instructed DISCOMs and the municipal corporation to strengthen coordination and ensure timely exchange of information. The Chief Minister said the decision was finalised after consultation with the Law Department, keeping in view both public interest and administrative clarity.

DISCOMs have also been directed to establish dedicated helplines in this regard.