Bengaluru homeowners have received a significant relief after Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) clarified that residential buildings measuring up to 2,400 sq ft can obtain permanent electricity connections without an occupancy certificate (OC), even if applications were not submitted before the previously announced deadline. 
The clarification follows concerns raised by homeowners, electrical contractors and resident groups after a recent Karnataka government order appeared to restrict the benefit only to those who had filed applications before the cut-off date. The interpretation had created uncertainty for many property owners who had completed their homes but were unable to submit applications due to regulatory restrictions and procedural hurdles. 
Under the revised clarification, eligibility will be determined based on the status of the building rather than the date of application. Homeowners whose houses were completed before the prescribed cut-off or who had already secured temporary electricity connections before that date will be allowed to apply for permanent power supply without producing an occupancy certificate. 
The issue gained importance after stricter enforcement of occupancy certificate requirements following a Supreme Court directive in late 2024. In the months that followed, several BESCOM offices reportedly stopped processing applications from buildings that lacked approved plans or occupancy certificates. As a result, many completed homes continued to rely on temporary electricity connections despite being occupied. 
Industry representatives argued that limiting the benefit only to applicants who had filed before the deadline would have excluded a large section of homeowners. Many property owners were unable to submit applications because authorities were not accepting them during the period of regulatory uncertainty. Others chose to wait for policy clarity rather than repeatedly filing fresh applications under the Sakala framework, where applications have a limited validity period. 
The Karnataka Electrical Contractors' Association and other stakeholders sought clarification from the utility provider, highlighting that the intent of the government's relaxation would be defeated if only previously submitted applications were considered. Following these representations, BESCOM clarified that the relaxation would also apply to eligible homeowners who had not filed applications before the deadline but could establish that their buildings met the required conditions. 
The decision is expected to provide relief to a substantial number of households across Bengaluru. According to reports, BESCOM has nearly 1.5 lakh pending requests related to conversion of temporary electricity connections into permanent ones. While not all applications may qualify under the current relaxation, officials estimate that around one lakh residential properties could benefit from the move. 
The development is particularly important for individual homeowners and small residential properties that have faced difficulties in obtaining permanent utility connections despite completing construction. For many residents, the absence of a permanent power connection had become a practical challenge affecting day-to-day living as well as property transactions and documentation. 
The latest clarification also reflects the Karnataka government's broader efforts to address long-pending issues linked to occupancy certificates and access to essential services. Over the years, several homeowners have argued that delays in obtaining OCs often arise from administrative and approval-related issues rather than deficiencies in completed homes, leaving residents caught between regulatory compliance and basic utility access. 
Questions, however, remain regarding the treatment of commercial buildings and paying guest accommodations. Industry stakeholders have sought further guidance on whether similar relief measures could be extended to these categories, which continue to face compliance-related challenges in securing permanent electricity connections.