Power crunch puts new connections in limbo

Hyderabad: Spiralling power consumption left new power connection seekers in the domestic sector high and dry in the city. As many as 40,000 applications for new power connections are pending before the AP Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) in the State capital in the last three months.

Though the CPDCL did not announce the stoppage of issuing new power connections officially, the company is adopting delayed tactics in releasing new power connections in the guise of increasing load burden due to summer. The CPDCL officials said that with the increased power consumption, power load has increased on the transformers.

In the North and West Zones which cover Banjara Hills, Hi-tech city, Kukatpally, Gachibowli and Kondapur, the construction activity is increasing rapidly. But the logistic support to supply power to new buildings is yet to be strengthened. If the new connections are given, the existing infrastructure will not be able to cope up with the increased power consumption, they said.

The officials said that most of the applications pending before the CPDCL were from the owners of new apartments. As per the citizen charter, the applications should be cleared in 30 days. In view of shortage of staff for verification, it is taking around 45 days to two months to install the connection. Now, however, it is taking almost three months time.

The officials said that the number of new connections issued in the last three months reduced drastically in the metro zone. Usually, about 5000 to 7000 new connections are added every month in the three circles of the metro zone. From February, the Central Discom slowed down the clearance of the applications pending in different sub divisions.

At present, there are 16.03 lakh power connections in the metro zone. The number of new connections are increasing by 10 to 15 per cent every year. In 2009, the total connections were 14.45 lakh when compared to last year's 15.80 lakh.