PANAJI
In a bid to crack down on illegal structures, the State government has made physical inspection of the site or premises mandatory before issuing new power connections under the Goa Public Health Act.
The government has essentially reverted to its earlier practice of inspection, which was discontinued in 2022 following online applications.
In a circular issued on Monday, the Electricity Department stated that all electricity applications would be processed only after obtaining government approval.
The Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE), Stephen Fernandes, said that the applications should be accompanied by a site inspection report covering the technical aspects, with confirmation of whether the premises are inhabited or occupied by the applicant.
The site inspection report must be signed by the concerned Junior Engineer of the area, and the same should be certified by the Assistant Engineer and forwarded to the Head Office with necessary comments from the Executive Engineer.
The CEE further directed concerned officials or divisions across the state to ensure that all applications for electricity connections applied under the Health Act are routed through the Head Office for obtaining government approval.
The direction comes into force with immediate effect.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had on Tuesday announced the government’s plan to clamp down on illegal structures and houses by proposing to discontinue water and electricity supply following directions from the High Court.
“The High Court (High Court of Bombay at Goa) has issued directives that water and electricity should be cut off to illegally built constructions/houses. We have begun doing so and issued instructions to concerned officials to comply with the Court’s directives,” he had said.
Sawant had further stated that many illegal structures currently have basic utility services through Health Act provisions, but henceforth, these will be governed by other legislative frameworks to curb misuse.
