60 days without electricity, Jharkhand man's fight to restore connection finds success in High Court

Indian Express

13 hours ago

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) to restore electricity to a Ranchi resident who had been without power for over 60 days despite having paid all dues and reconnection charges.
In its ruling, the high court said that essential services such as electricity cannot be withheld arbitrarily once a citizen has fulfilled their legal obligations, and that state authorities must act decisively to protect individual rights.
The petitioner, Santosh Sharma, a resident of Ranchi, moved the high court after repeated attempts to seek redressal through JBVNL, local police, and administrative officials. His power supply was disconnected in March 2025.
Over the next two months, Sharma said that he paid around Rs 68,000 in multiple instalments to clear all dues but his electricity was not restored.
In court, JBVNL admitted that there were no pending dues, but claimed its workers were unable to reconnect the line due to 'obstruction by outsiders' over a land dispute involving neighbours.
The single bench of Justice Gautam Kumar Choudhary observed that 'a third party cannot interfere in the restoration of connection', and directed the district administration to assist the electricity board in ensuring reconnection within two days.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sharma said that despite paying over Rs 68,000 in dues, our electricity was cut off from March-end to June. 'We tried every route, from police to RTI to the Chief Minister's office, but it was only after the High Court's intervention that hope returned. Even now, people are obstructing the reconnection. Isn't it a fundamental right to have electricity in your home?' he said.
'My children couldn't study, we spent all these nights in the sweltering heat, and even basic rights like storing food or fetching water became a daily struggle. It felt like we were being punished despite doing nothing wrong,' he said.
Sharma's counsel, advocate Mihir Kunal Ekka, who argued the case, said the delay and harassment amounted to a direct violation of constitutional protections. 'I obtained the court order on the very first hearing. The petitioner had cleared all dues, yet JBVNL's workers were being blocked by locals citing an unrelated land dispute. The Court rightly ordered that such third-party interference cannot be used to deny electricity, which is an essential service and directed that reconnection must be ensured with the help of the district administration,' Ekka said.
Even after the court's directive, residents reportedly attempted to block reconnection on Tuesday evening, forcing JBVNL officials to return despite police presence.
Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India.
Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions.
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