Ombudsman nixes Tangedco’s addl land demand for Kanchi sub-station

Tamil Nadu Electricity Ombudsman has dismissed the Tangedco’s notice to the State Bank Officers Association (SBIOA) which has developed a residential project in Kancheepuram district in 2016 to allocate additional land required for establishing a 110 KV substation or to bear the additional cost required for the establishment of the compact substation.

“The SBIOA is not liable to provide any additional land space over and above the already gifted land towards establishing the 110 KV outdoor substation. The Tangedco is not eligible to claim any difference in cost between the establishment of the 110 KV conventional substation and compact substation,” the ombudsman said in the order.

It all started when SBIOA developed a residential project in the Kancheepuram district and applied for electricity service connection.

While applying for power supply connection, Tangedco insisted to provide space for the establishment of 110 KV SS free of cost. As per the request of Tangedco, the land measuring 2019.83 square meters was gifted to Tangedco in 2016. However, in July last year, the Tangedco issued a notice stating that already acquired land is not suitable for the establishment of 110 KV SS and requested to provide additional land or bear additional cost for establishment of indoor SS. Aggrieved by the Tangedco claim five years after effecting service connections to 1875 flats and HT service connection for common utilities, the association moved the ombudsman seeking direction to withdraw the notice.

Ombudsman said that the TN Electricity Supply Code Regulation 29 (12) (ii) doesn’t provide the appellant to bear the additional expenditure towards establishing a 110 KV compact SS. “Hence I am of the opinion that the respondent is not eligible to claim the additional expenditure from the appellant towards establishing the compact substation,” it said.