Builders steals power and sue Bescom for arrears of Rs 2.66 crore!

India Builders Corporation acquired power from Bescom for its Platinum City Apartment at Yeshwanthpura in 2011 Bescom team inspected the illegal connection to four blocks and submitted a report to the Chief Electrical Inspector. The CEI isused a Demand Notice to builders to pay a sum of Rs 2,66,41,035 for illegally using power for 6 years from 2011 to 2016. Now the builders have gone to High Court that Bescom cannot claim arrears older than 6 months.

The India Builders Company has filed a petition at the High Court requesting to dismiss a notice issued by BESCOM claiming arrears of 6 years to the tune of Rs 2, 66, 41,035 for illegally using power.

India Builders Corporation had constructed a 7 block apartment complex Platinum City in Yeshwanthpur in 2011. It had taken permission to install a transformer of 475 KV. Eventually the builder constructed other blocks B, C, D and F, for which power from the same transformer was being drawn without taking legal permission from BESCOM.

The builder did apply and procure permission to install a transformer of 1000 KV to supply power to other blocks but did not install, instead was stealing power from the earlier transformer.

In 2016 the BESCOM Vigilance Squad inspected the apartment complex and found out the irregularity. It submitted a detailed report to the Chief Electrical Inspector. Based on the report the CEI issued a notice to India Builders Corporation that it has illegally drawn power from 2011 April to 2016 November for a period of 6 years and the arrears of Rs 2,66,41,035 had to be paid by the builder.

The builder in turn has submitted a petition to the High Court stating that BESCOM can only claim arrears of 6 months as per the State Electricity Act and hence the notice should be dismissed.

After hearing the argument, the High Court ruled that the builder must submit his objections to BESCOM and BESCOM in turn should hear the appeal by the builder and issue a notice with appropriate reasons within 3 weeks. The inquiry will be pending till then, said the HC, reports Kannada Prabha.