Nagpur: Several establishments squatted on Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) land continue to receive uninterrupted electricity and water supply, raising questions over enforcement. Residents of Bajaj Nagar and East Shankar Nagar have flagged lapses in the verification processes of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), questioning how restaurants and other commercial units have retained essential services for years despite the land being under dispute for encroachment. “Large swathes of PDKV land are flagged as encroached. How are commercial establishments operating there still receiving electricity and water,” residents asked. Under prevailing norms, a new electricity connection requires proof of ownership or lawful occupancy—such as an occupancy certificate, Form 7/12 extract, tax receipts, or a lease agreement. In slum areas, an affidavit on stamp paper may be submitted where formal documents are unavailable. A senior MSEDCL official said legacy records would have to be examined to ascertain the basis on which connections were granted. “These are old connections. We will need to verify what documents were submitted at the time,” the official said. Civic officials indicated a similar situation with water supply. A senior Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) official said most connections are old, and no fresh approvals or water connections have been granted since 2009, following a communication from PDKV. Residents, however, question the inaction, arguing that services should have been discontinued once the encroachment was formally reported.
