Tamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman directs VGN Property Developers to provide land to build substation

Tangedco instructed to install common service connections to safeguard consumer interests

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman has directed VGN Property Developers Pvt. Ltd. to offer space for the establishment of substation at one of its projects and the Tangedco to effect service connections for 229 dwelling units, including common service connections to safeguard the rights of the consumers.

In its petition, VGN Property Developers said it had applied for service connections for 236 dwelling units on April 21, 2017 in its project at Thiruverkadu and had indicated the total units to be developed was 524, apart from retail shops and other common facilities that were proposed with a total demand of 4.961 Mega Volt Amp (MVA).

Supply of electricity for 234 dwelling units were effected on December 11, 2018, while new service connection for 229 dwelling units, including 5 common service connections, were registered on June 6, 2019 and were kept pending till date, with the Tangedco demanding land to be gifted for setting up a substation, the developer said.

The Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum of Chennai Electricity Distribution Circle/West had directed VGN to offer space for the Substation as per the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Code, as the total assessed demand of the group housing exceeded 5 MVA, against which VGN moved the Tamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman.

VGN noted that the Tangedco had failed to intimate the exact space which would be needed for the substation, having already known that the total units to be developed is 524 in 2017, and now it could not be forced to give away land. In its reply, the electricity board said the total demand of the entire project had been estimated at 4.961 MVA, without considering the loads of the retail block, club house and the sewage and water treatment plants.

The total dwelling units added up to 524 in 12 blocks with one common service connection for each block. The club house and retail shop would be housed in two separate blocks. Thus, the total load exceeded 5 MVA, it noted. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman noted that an amendment to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Code required developers to earmark space for the establishment of a substation, where the total area of the buildings exceeded 30,000 sq mtrs or the power load exceeded 5 Mega Volt Amp (MVA).

Even if there was a dispute between the parties in the demand calculation for common loads, the developer had to fulfil the other condition for exceeding 30,000 sq mtrs, it added while accepting the Tangedco’s argument that total approved FSI area is 51058.35 sq mtrs for the project.

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