Bhopal: A funeral held in Dwarka Dham Colony on Friday starkly highlighted the severe electricity crisis that has plagued the residential complex since the end of April. The colony, approved by the Town and Country Planning (TNCP) department and handed over to residents around 2010, has faced repeated power disconnections after the builder failed to clear arrears amounting to ₹31 lakh in electricity dues.
Funeral Disrupted Due to Power Outage
The bereaved family had to expedite cremation arrangements while waiting for relatives to arrive from abroad. With power supply disrupted, the body could not be kept for longer, forcing the family to rush the funeral. Society RWA president DD Chaturvedi disclosed this on Sunday during a meeting of the society. He emphasized that the power crisis has made life extremely difficult for residents, especially during emergencies.
Residents Blame Builder's Dues for Repeated Disconnections
After negotiations with the administration, it was decided that residents would pay ₹17 lakh towards the outstanding dues, while the remainder was the builder's responsibility. However, Chaturvedi alleged that the power distribution company (discom) continues to arbitrarily disconnect supply, despite knowing that recovery should be made from the developer. “The discom is well aware that the builder is the defaulter, yet they cut our power,” he said.
Dwarka Dham Colony has only one high-tension (HT) connection with sub-meters, under which residents pay their bills regularly. The first major disruption occurred at the end of April, when supply was cut for six hours before intervention by the local MLA restored it. Since then, outages have continued, affecting nearly 600 families, with about 500 houses occupied. Residents contribute monthly payments but say they are being penalized for the builder's default.
Residents Demand Legal Action Against Builder
Chaturvedi stated that residents have approached the administration and demanded legal action against the developer. “We are paying our electricity bills regularly. The builder’s dues should not be imposed on us,” he said. The crisis has disrupted medical support for patients, lifts in duplex apartments, and water supply from two tube wells, which depend on electricity.
Meetings Held but No Resolution
Meetings at Vallabh Bhawan have discussed the issue but have not resolved the situation. Narela MLA and minister Vishwas Sarang chaired sessions along with representatives from the power discom and district administration, but no resolution has followed. Residents insist that the collector and minister must intervene to restore uninterrupted power supply. When contacted, the colony builder, Vijay Singh, did not respond to queries.
The ongoing power crisis has left residents frustrated and desperate, with no immediate solution in sight. They hope that the authorities will take swift action to ensure that the builder is held accountable and that their power supply is restored permanently.
