Shimla | In a major crackdown on unauthorised constructions, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has announced that building owners who failed to get their building maps approved will now have to return the electricity subsidy they had availed. From April 1, 2024, these consumers will be billed at the highest domestic slab rate of ₹6.25 per unit.
More than 20,000 such consumers have been identified in Shimla alone. These individuals had obtained domestic electricity connections without submitting the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) of their building plans from municipal bodies or the Town and Country Planning department. While earlier, such connections were granted only temporarily at ₹8.42 per unit, the government relaxed the rule in March 2022, allowing domestic connections without map approvals, making them eligible for subsidies.
As per the earlier rates, the electricity board provided subsidies ranging from ₹1.03 to ₹3.53 per unit, depending on the consumer’s monthly usage. Taking advantage of this, many consumers switched from temporary to domestic connections without getting their constructions regularised.
However, under the revised tariff effective this financial year, the Electricity Regulatory Commission has made it clear that consumers without building plan approval will no longer be eligible for subsidies. Not only will they pay ₹6.25 per unit—the highest slab—but the board will also recover the total subsidy amount availed by them till March 31, 2024.
Officials clarified that those who have submitted the required NOC will be billed as per the new approved domestic rate of ₹5.90 per unit, a 35-paise reduction from the earlier highest slab. The electricity board has already started the process of adjusting bills and issuing arrears notices to violators.
This move comes amid increasing pressure from the High Court and urban bodies to control illegal constructions in urban areas. The electricity board’s action is expected to encourage compliance with construction norms and discourage map violations across the state.
