New Delhi: Thirty-six families in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar have received regular electricity connections after waiting since 2018.
Officials said around 50 to 60 houses had come up in the locality by 2018, but regular electricity connections could not be provided because land for an electric sub-station (ESS) was unavailable. Residents said several families had relied on temporary and unorganised arrangements for years.
The families met chief minister Rekha Gupta at Jan Seva Sadan on Sunday and thanked her for resolving a long-pending issue that had left many residents without regular power for nearly eight years.
The issue was raised during a public grievance hearing in December last year, after which Gupta directed officials and concerned agencies to coordinate and resolve the matter on priority. Land for installation of a transformer was then made available, enabling the power distribution company to begin electrification work.
Officials said the transformer has now been installed and the electricity network expanded across the area. The process of installing electricity meters for eligible applicants is underway, with most demand notes already issued. Authorities expect all families to receive regular power connections soon.
Addressing the residents, Gupta said public grievance hearings were not merely forums for complaints but mechanisms for ensuring quick redressal of citizens’ problems. She said the government’s aim was not only to launch schemes but also to ensure delivery of essential services such as electricity, water, roads and sewerage to every resident.
She also directed officials to ensure that remaining eligible families in the area receive connections within the stipulated timeframe and said citizens should not have to wait years for basic services in the future.
Bhagwati Pathak, a 45-year-old resident, said families had struggled for years without regular electricity. “During winters, we would pay ₹200 to ₹300 to a neighbour with a generator, who supplied electricity for around three hours in the evening so we could finish household work,” she said.
Pathak added that during summers, several families would temporarily move to rented accommodations in Mandoli to shield children from extreme heat and the inconvenience caused by lack of power supply.
