On Thursday, 10th November 2022, the Delhi High Court ordered the city’s power distribution provider, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), to provide electricity connections to over 200 migrant Hindu families who arrived in India from Pakistan and are currently living in appalling conditions in the capital.
A bench of justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad heard the case. After learning that the Ministry of Defence, which owns the property where the people are now living, had issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the same, the bench made this decision.
Adarsh Nagar in North Delhi has been home to almost 200 Pakistani immigrant families for a number of years, according to a public interest litigation petition submitted by Hariom. They have been given Aadhaar cards, and the Indian government has granted them a long-term visa to live in the country.
For years, the lives of Pakistani Hindu immigrants residing in the Adarsh Nagar neighborhood of North Delhi have been dismal. These families have been forced to live in the dark for many years as these 200 families living in the slums do not have access to electricity.
According to the petition, the area has plenty of women and young children living there. The plea further said that without electricity, it has become extremely challenging for these families to endure the tough conditions. The people had sought Tata Power for the power supply but were informed that they needed NOC from the land-owning authorities, argued the petitioner.
Tata Power, however, notified the court that they are unable to give an electricity connection in the absence of a NOC since the relevant property is owned by the Center, the Defence Department, and Delhi Metro.
The Court took note of the argument made by the attorney representing the migrants that they are prepared to install pre-paid meters to prevent losses for Tata in the event of default. The Delhi High Court ordered the business to give connections to all of the local households within 30 days of the application. The bench then disposed of the plea.
