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New Delhi: In a relief, the Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered Tata Power-DDL to provide electricity within 30 days to Hindu migrants from Pakistan who have been living in slums in the city for the past few years without electricity. The direction of the court came after receiving the news that the Ministry of Defense has approved the electricity connection for the Migrants living in Adarsh Nagar area in the north of Delhi.
“In view of the aforesaid, the present PIL will stand against the direction of Tata Power to provide electricity connection to all persons residing in the locality who file the same request within 30 days”, Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. And Justice Subramonium Prasad said.
The High Court, which is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the provision of electricity to nearly 800 migrants, had earlier asked the Center why no NOC was issued to them for the last five to six years to facilitate electricity distribution.
During the hearing, federal counsel Anurag Ahluwalia submitted some documents to the court noting that the letter placed before it was clear that the Ministry of Defense had approved for the electricity connection.
“In the opinion of this court, once the authority granted approval for electricity connection, the respondent (Tata Power) had no other option but to provide electricity connection to all the people of Adarsh Nagar…”, the bench said.
Senior advocate Sanjay Poddar and lawyers Akash Vajpai and Samiksha Mittal, representing the petitioners, informed the court that all the beneficiaries of the colony are ready to install pre-paid electricity meters so that the company does not suffer any loss in case of any loss. Early mistakes in electricity payment.
Counsel assured the court that the refugees would not claim any ownership over the land in question.
The court was informed earlier that the central government had issued Aadhaar cards to these migrants and they were on long-term visas issued by the authorities, but unfortunately, the shelters they were staying in did not have electricity connections.
informed that the electricity connection is not authorized by the electricity company to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the office Defense of the country.
The lower house had earlier expressed hope that the central government would find sympathy in the plight of poor Hindu refugees from Pakistan who live without electricity in slums in the city.
“The land in question at the jhuggis (slum) has been established as Government of India/Department of Defense/DMRC, and in the absence of NOC from the land owning agency, the distribution company is not in a position to provide electricity connection,” the bench said.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, the electricity distributor, told the court that the NOC was required as certain electricity pylons would have to be constructed for proper electricity supply in the land.
Petitioner Hariom, who claims to be a social worker working for the welfare of minority refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in India, moved the court last year emphasizing that more than 200 families of minority refugees from Pakistan, mostly from Sindh. has been living in Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar without electricity for the past few years.
In its order, the court observed that the migrants, who entered the country on long-term visas, were poor people who did not have permanent residence and had Aadhaar cards.
The petitioner’s lawyer told the court that Pakistani refugees living in the city Majnu-ka-tila has been connected with prepaid electricity.
“Refugees who came to India from Pakistan because of their religious persecution believed that coming to India would give their children a bright and safe future, but their current existence without electricity in the slums has destroyed all their meaningful dreams. The pandemic when all the schools have gone online, there is no electricity in the jhuggis (slums) and the future of their children is in darkness,” said the PIL.
The petition sought a direction to provide electricity connection to migrants on the basis of Aadhaar card, long-term visa and passport under the Delhi Electricity Board (Supply Code and Standards of Practice) Rules, 2017 and also included these documents as identification. Proof and Aadhaar card as proof of ownership.
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