In a significant decision, the Rajasthan High Court has granted approval for electricity connections to 25,000 society plot holders in Prithviraj Nagar, Jaipur, after an 11-year wait. This ruling comes as a major relief to the residents who have been deprived of basic electrical infrastructure due to a legal standoff.
The bench, consisting of Justice Pankaj Bhandari and Justice Shubha Mehta, overturned a previous single-judge bench’s ruling from July 5, 2013, which had halted the granting of electricity connections to these plots. The court found the previous order to be a violation of the provisions of Rule 43 of the Electricity Act of 2013, stating that it infringed on the residents’ fundamental rights.
Advocate Prahlad Sharma, representing the residents, argued that the 2013 order unjustly restricted the fundamental rights of the citizens by denying them electricity connections after they had built homes on the allotted society plots. He emphasized that such connections should only be halted during natural disasters.
The Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam (Jaipur Electricity Distribution Corporation) acknowledged that the occupants of the society plots qualify as legitimate holders and deserve electricity connections. Furthermore, meetings involving UDH Secretary and JDC had previously recommended providing electricity to Prithviraj Nagar under the society plot scheme, stating that denying connections was not legally justified.
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This landmark ruling is expected to significantly improve the quality of life for thousands of Jaipur residents, finally allowing them to access essential electrical services after more than a decade of legal delays.