In a significant policy shift, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to allow domestic electricity connections to houses measuring up to 250 square feet that are constructed on poramboke land, without requiring a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from government authorities. This move, detailed in a recent government order, aims to address the long-standing requests from residents for essential utility services.
New Guidelines for Electricity Connections
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) chairman has been empowered to grant these domestic connections to eligible houses. However, this concession is not universally applicable. It explicitly excludes houses located on water bodies, grazing land, areas designated as ‘mandaveli’ (common grazing or open land), Forest Department land, military-controlled areas, Railway land, land belonging to religious institutions, and temple poramboke land. These prohibited categories remain ineligible for electricity supply under the new order.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the decision was taken following numerous public appeals for electricity access for homes situated on government-owned common land. The new connections will be categorized under the low-tension domestic tariff category IA (3)-Poramboke, with applicants being charged the standard domestic electricity tariff. The application process will require submission through Form 1, as prescribed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Code, along with an indemnity bond in Form 6 (Annexure III). Applicants will also need to pay twice the normal security deposit.
Undertaking and Future Considerations
Crucially, applicants must submit an undertaking on non-judicial stamp paper. This document will affirm their understanding that the electricity connection can be disconnected at any time if the government requires the land for its own purposes or if any future issues arise. They must also acknowledge that they may be evicted from the land. The government order emphasizes that securing an electricity connection will not confer any permanent or absolute right over the land occupied.
Before connections are effected, the concerned section officer is mandated to verify, using the Tamil Nilam website, that the house is not situated on any prohibited category of poramboke land. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission will be informed to make necessary amendments to Regulation 27(12) of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Code and establish a separate tariff category for these connections. TANGEDCO’s chairman and managing director are also required to submit a district and taluk-wise status report on these services to the government every three months to prevent misuse of the facility.
Understanding Poramboke Land
Poramboke land, in the context of Tamil Nadu, refers to government-owned common land set aside for public use. This can include areas like channels, tanks, lakes, rivers, beaches, riverbeds, roads, burial grounds, and grazing land. The title to such land vests with the State, and it cannot be alienated to private buyers under the Tamil Nadu Revenue Standing Orders and the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act, 1905. Historically, these lands have been crucial for community use, but their occupation without proper regularization has led to complexities in providing basic amenities.
The Tamil Nadu government’s move to allow electricity connections, albeit with stringent conditions, signifies an effort to balance the need for essential services with the preservation of government land. This policy aims to regularize access to power for a significant section of the population residing in these areas, while still maintaining the government’s ultimate control over the land. The move follows a series of legal interpretations and administrative decisions over the years, including a Madras High Court ruling that emphasized the statutory provisions allowing supply upon submission of an indemnity bond, even in the absence of a NOC, under specific circumstances.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
