Bengaluru apartment residents lose electricity over vacant flats’ dues | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: Residents of a high-rise apartment complex on Bannerghatta Road faced a day-long electricity cut as they were caught in a tussle between Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) officials and the builder. On Wednesday, Bescom disconnected the electricity supply to the apartment complex over non-payment of dues of Rs 2 lakh.Residents of Disha Loharuka Solaris in Gottigere took to X and posted that electricity supply to the entire building, consisting of 150 households, was cut only because dues from 30 empty flats were not paid.
Resident Binay Biswal urged Bescom to disconnect electricity from only those flats that had not paid. “A Bescom JE decides one day to randomly cut power, and no one can do anything even after hours of complaint,” he added. Bhaskar, another resident, termed the move atrocious and illegal. “Bills are under the same name. Occupied flats have paid their dues. Only 30 vacant flats are defaulters. They can be clearly identified by meter numbers,” he said on X. Assistant executive engineer of Bescom’s Begur sub-division, Venkatesh Sagar, told TOI, “The apartment complex has dues pending for over one year. Usually, new owners get the connections changed to their names. This was not done here,” he said. However, the residents expressed helplessness as the builder has allegedly absconded without transferring electricity connections to the owners’ names. Moreover, the builder has also not provided Property Identification Numbers and other documents like occupancy certificates and completion certificates. Murtuza Johar, a resident of Solaris, told TOI that the Bescom connection is under the builder’s name. “The builder has collected the maintenance amount for 2 years even though many of us have not been here for so long. We have filed a case against the builder who is now missing,” Johar said and added that Bescom refused to remove meters of the 30 defaulters, saying it cannot be done till the dues are settled. Bescom assistant engineer Venkatesh CD said Solaris has close to Rs 2 lakhs in dues, and that the apartment association had approached Bescom with a request to provide 15 days to clear the same.
