Ever since the directions on making multipoint power connections mandatory came, there has been a lot of issues over its implementations. As seen in many high rises in Gautam Budh Nagar, the developers have burdened the flat owners with exorbitant infrastructural charges in order to get the multipoint connections operational.
The residents have voiced their dissent over the way this has been implemented. They have also pointed out the many loopholes in the policy which directly plays in hands of developers. Clearly, it is the residents who are going to be at the receiving end as they will have to shell out big amount of money.
The power company - Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL) which has been bestowed with the responsibility to complete the multipoint connections by March, have also been devising the developer-centric guidelines. They have been accused of favouring the developers.
Now, seeing the dissent among the residents, the NPCL is looking for ways to find the middle path which would be convenient for both the developers and the flat owners.
As per talks with an official of NPCL, they are working towards getting a special kind of meter in association with the meter manufacturing companies. They intend to develop a kind of meter which is capable of reading the power consumption directly on its own server.
“As of now, data of meter readings is in the hands of developers. We are in search of a mechanism that can provide direct reading to the discoms,” said Sarnath Ganguli, a senior official in NPCL.
He further added, “We are in talks with private firms which can provide us advance technology to minimise infrastructure for power supply.”
If they are able to develop this kind of meter then the requirement of additional infrastructure will be minimised. Hence, the infrastructure cost will be significantly brought down causing relief to the flat owners who have been complaining over the big charges asked by the developers.
If this goes on the floor then it will be a real win-win situation for the authorities and the residents. Individual experts had pointed many loopholes in the policy which includes giving freehand to the builders for charging the amount of their wishes from the flat owners to recover infrastructure cost for the conversion of single point connection to multipoint connections in the societies.
Residents of high-rises in Gautam Budh Nagar say the multipoint connection system was demanded to bring an end to builders’ arbitrary charges being imposed for the electricity supply. They say the government, however, seemed to forget that builders will impose hefty amount as new infrastructure cost.
Vikash Kumar, a resident who has been raising this issue, talking to City Spidey said, “We have objections on three points - why would residents pay infrastructure cost when they have already paid during the possession? If new infrastructure is necessary for conversion of single point connection into multipoint connection then the money which we have already paid should be adjusted. And, our third demand is that discom should audit power consumption after every six months which mandatory under the NPCL guidelines.”
For instance, the builder of Gaur City had issued letters to the residents for seeking their consent for multipoint connection and also indicated that the flat owners will be required to pay approximately Rs 60,000 for the multipoint connection system.
