NOC no longer needed, unapproved colony residents queue up for power connections

Parkash Kumar (54), a resident of Sular village, had been running from pillar to post to get a power connection for almost four years ever since he bought a house near Sular. He is now happy that his family will finally have power supply to manage day-to-day affairs. With the Punjab Government scrapping the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) requirement, thousands of gullible and poor residents who were duped and sold houses in unauthorised colonies will benefit.

Ever since the government nod, applicants have been queuing outside the local Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) department offices hoping to spend the approaching winter using geysers and heaters.

“Last year and this summer, we were dependent on neighbours even for small needs. It was like living in a jungle. I am a daily wager and have two daughters and an ailing wife to take care of. It was tough,” says Krishan Chand, who had a similar connection pending in Salem Tabri in Ludhiana. “I managed to get a connection on Friday and my daughters can prepare for their exams in our own house under lights,” he says.

Starting 2023, the PSPCL had imposed a ban on power connections in colonies that were not approved by any government agency. Citing the Illegal Colonies Regularisation Policy 2018, the corporation has stated that “no electricity connection would be released in such colonies”.

The move came after cases surfaced wherein the promoter of illegal colonies had not applied for regularisation. But individual plot holders, who had purchased property prior to March 19, 2018, became eligible for getting the NOC. The PSPCL pointed out that for colonies that had been regularised, an NOC issued by the licensing authority would be required for getting power connection. The government had asked for the re-certification of the NOCs issued offline to individual plot holders in illegal colonies that had been regularised.

Now, days after the Punjab Government scrapped the mandatory NOC requirement on November 17, the PSPCL in Punjab has witnessed a twofold rise in applications for new electricity connections across the district, officials familiar with the matter said.

“This was expected as hundreds of applications were pending in each circle of every district which had previously been delayed or rejected because consumers could not submit mandatory documents like the NOC or an approved building plan. With the NOC requirement now waived, this backlog has quickly surfaced, fuelling the sudden spike in demand. We expect more applicants to queue up as the word spreads,” said a senior PSPCL official.

In an official notification dated November 17, PSPCL had eased norms for releasing new electricity connections, including in unapproved and unauthorised colonies. “Two years back, the government had made NOC a must. Now, this relaxation will benefit consumers, majority of whom are poor and have bought plots or houses in cheaper areas,” said a senior PSPCL engineer.