Shillong, October 6: It has come to the notice of the Government that electrical accidents have taken place in recent past on account of works taken up by the Departments under the existing electrical lines in contravention of the Electricity Act, 2003. This was informed by the Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Power Department.
To avoid electrical accidents, any department which intend to erect a new building or structure or flood bank or to raise any road level or to carry out any other type of work whether permanent or temporary, addition or alteration under an overhead electric line, shall do so in accordance with CEA Electric Supply and Safety Regulation 63 which requires that such department shall give intimation and furnish therewith a scale drawing of the proposed work including scaffolding to the supplier (MeECL) or owner of the electrical lines and to the Electrical Inspector.
On receipt of such intimation, the supplier or owner of the electrical line shall examine the compliance of the referred line to the provisions of the Regulations, its technical feasibility, the requirement of Right of Way and liability on the Department to pay the cost of alteration of the overhead lines. Such Department shall deposit the cost for alteration of the line within 30 days of receipt of the notice and estimate from the supplier or owner of electrical line. The supplier shall alter the lines in compliance with Regulation 58, 60, 61 within two months from the date of such deposit or within such longer period as the Electrical Inspector may allow.
If such department disputes the cost of alteration of the overhead line estimated by the supplier or owner or even the responsibility to pay such cost, the dispute may be referred to the Electrical Inspector who shall estimate the cost of alteration on the basis of cost of materials after crediting the depreciated cost of materials from the existing line, wages of labour, supervision charge and charges incurred by the supplier or owner in complying with the section 67 (Work of Licensees) of the Electricity Act, 2003. The decision of the Electrical Inspector shall be final.
All Departments are directed to ensure strict compliance with the above mentioned provisions of the Electrical Act, 2003 while undertaking works under the existing electrical lines. Any addition or alteration to the building or structure shall be allowed only after the deposit of such estimated cost to the supplier or owner of electrical line.
No work upon such building, structure, flood bank, road and addition or alteration thereto shall be commenced or continued until the Electrical Inspector has certified that the provisions of Regulation 58 (clearances above the ground of the lowest conductor of the overhead line), 60 (clearances from buildings on the lines of voltages and service lines not exceeding 650 volts) and 61 (clearances from building of lines those exceeding 650 volts) should not be contravened either during or after the aforesaid construction. Contravention of the above regulations may invite action as per law established under the Electricity Act, 2003.
