The Hindu Business Line : Enlightenment in the Electricity Act

THE preamble to the new Electricity Act, which was out only weeks ago, states the purpose of the legislation: "To consolidate the laws relating to generation, transmission, distribution, trading and use of electricity and generally for taking measures conducive to the development of electricity industry, promoting competition therein, protecting interest of consumers and supply of electricity to all areas, rationalisation of electricity tariff, ensuring transparent policies regarding subsidies, promotion of efficient and environmentally benign policies... "

And if you are through that electrifying intro, there are enough definitions in Section 2 of the Act to illuminate. For instance, "consumer" means any person who is supplied with electricity for his own use by a licensee or the Government or by any other person engaged in the business of supplying electricity to the public under this Act or any other law for the time being in force and includes any person whose premises are for the time being connected for the purpose of receiving electricity... as the case may be.

Since you should know how to keep off deadly wires, "electric line" is defined as any line which is used for carrying electricity for any purpose and includes (a) any support for any such line, that is to say, any structure, tower, pole or other thing in, on, by or from which any such line is supported or suspended; and (b) any apparatus connected to any such line for the purpose of carrying electricity. But remember that "electrical plant" does not include (a) an electric line; (b) a meter used for ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied to any premises; or (c) an electrical equipment, apparatus or appliance under the control of a consumer. Who is a consumer? See supra.

What is "electricity"? It means electrical energy (a) generated, transmitted, supplied or traded for any purpose; or (b) used for any purpose except the transmission of a message. Which means, don't say hello over live wires. "Grid" means the high voltage backbone system of inter-connected transmission lines, sub-station and generating plants and "high voltage line" means an electric line or cable of a nominal voltage

"Public lamp" means an electric lamp used for the lighting of any street; and "street" includes any way, road, lane, square, court, alley, passage or open space, whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public has a right of way and also the roadway and footway over any public bridge or causeway.

However, to know the meaning of `road', `land', `alley' and so on, you would perhaps have look at a different Act.

OohLaLaw@hotmail.com

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