N.P.Manickam v. The Superintending Engineer And ANR

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

[ CIRCUIT BENCH AT PORT BLAIR ] *** WPA/520/2023 N. P. Manickam Vs.

The Superintending Engineer and another Mr. P. Kannan ... for the petitioner Mr. Tulsi Lall Mr. Rakesh Kumar ... for the respondent March 20, 2023 [SR] Item No.7 The petitioner filed an application for electricity connection which appears from Annexure P-2 (at page 12) of the writ application. The application is dated 25th February, 2023. It has been rejected by one communication made on behalf of the Electricity Department giving certain remarks. Such remark, I do not find any legs to stand upon because, according to Article 21 of the Constitution of India, electricity being an essential service is now part of life and this cannot be denied for reasons disclosed in the said refusal communication, which is at page 18 of the writ application. Such refusal communication at page 18 dated 1st March, 2023 is quashed and set aside.

I direct the respondent no.2 to look into the matter and to take appropriate steps for giving electricity connection to the petitioner, subject to payment of requisite fees for getting the electricity connection. However, such order will not create any equity in favour of the petitioner.

With the above direction and observation , this application being WPA/520/2023 is disposed of. ( Abhijit Gangopadhyay, J. )