‘No new connection without building completion certificate’

CHENNAI: TheTamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman has rejected a domestic consumer’s request to provide a new connection to their newly constructed unit on the third floor of a residential building without seeking a building completion certificate.

In the order, the TNEO said that any special buildings with a stilt and three floors would require a completion certificate from the competent authority to get a connection from Tangedco.

A resident of KK Nagar, Hemalatha, has built a new dwelling unit on the third floor of her existing residence and applied for a new EB connection. Already her house has two domestic connections – one for the ground floor and another for the first and second floor, which is a duplex model residence.

Based on her application for a connection, Tangedco sought a building completion certificate to process her application after a physical inspection.

Following this, Hemalatha approached the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) in July last year aggrieved over Tangedco’s demand for the certificate. But the CGRF dismissed her request and asked her to submit the planning permit and building completion certificate to the Tangedco.

Appealing against the order, she moved the TNEO pointing out that she has been paying property taxes for the building to the Corporation.

Tangedco officials argued that as per the TN Combined Development and Building Rules 2019, buildings with more than three floors, or 750 sq feet in area, or a building over 12 metres tall are required to submit planning permission and a building completion certificate from the competent authority.

The TNEO said that since the consumer’s building was classified as a special building, the consumer should submit the completion certificate to avail the new connection for the floor.