BENGALURU: Residents of a high-rise apartment complex on Bannerghatta Road experienced a day-long power outage due to a dispute between the builder and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom). On Wednesday, Bescom disconnected the electricity for the apartment complex over unpaid dues totaling Rs 2 lakh.
Residents of Disha Loharuka Solaris in Gottigere shared their concerns on social media, stating the power was cut because of unpaid dues from 30 empty flats, affecting all 150 households in the building.
One resident, Binay Biswal, criticized Bescom for the blanket disconnection, suggesting that they should only cut power to the flats that are in default. “It’s frustrating when a Bescom official decides suddenly to cut power, leaving residents helpless despite complaints,” he mentioned.
Another resident, Bhaskar, condemned the decision as outrageous and illegal, pointing out that all occupied flats have paid their dues. “The defaulters can be easily identified by their meter numbers,” he said on social media.
Venkatesh Sagar, assistant executive engineer of Bescom’s Begur sub-division, explained to TOI that the apartment complex has overdue dues for over a year. “Typically, new owners transfer the connections to their names, but that hasn’t happened here,” he noted.
Residents have expressed frustration as the builder allegedly disappeared without transferring the electricity connections to the owners’ names. Furthermore, the builder has failed to provide necessary documents, such as Property Identification Numbers, occupancy certificates, and completion certificates.
Murtuza Johar, a resident, emphasized that the Bescom connection is still registered under the builder’s name. “Despite the builder collecting maintenance fees for two years, many of us haven’t lived here that long. We’ve even taken legal action against the missing builder,” he told TOI, adding that Bescom refuses to remove the meters from the 30 defaulting flats until the dues are cleared.
Bescom assistant engineer Venkatesh CD confirmed that Solaris owes nearly Rs 2 lakh in dues and mentioned that the apartment association had requested an additional 15 days to settle the outstanding amount.
