VDS scheme ends, over 32,000 apply

Rush was also witnessed today at some of the total ten electricity sub-centres in the City and a total of 1,500 applications were received today itself. During the last 10 days at least 7,000 more applications have been received by the department under the scheme. According to sources, there were still some people who complained that their applications under the scheme were left out. N. Kochhar, a resident of Sector 22, alleged that there were a few consumers whose applications were not accepted by the department counter in Sector 23, even though the officer concerned had asked for the same. Officials, however, said that if the consumers could not apply during the over two-month period when the scheme remained open how can they blame the department for it.

However, a similar scheme launched by the department in 1997 did not evoke a good response where only about 600 consumers had applied.

Now with the closure of the scheme, load surcharge at the rate of Rs 750 per KW for single-phase connection and Rs 1,500 per KW for three-phase connection would be levied, besides penal action or even disconnection of electricity supply could be levied if the unauthorised load is detected by the checking staff of the electricity department.