25 August,2026 06:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BEST has set up facilitation desks at all Customer Service departments to accept applications for temporary electricity connections. Representational/File Pic
Ahead of Ganeshotsav 2026, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST) has issued guidelines for public Ganeshotsav mandals seeking temporary electricity connections for their pandals.
In its Ganeshotsav 2026 BEST guidelines issued by Public Relations Officer (in-charge) Sunil Vaidya, the undertaking detailed the application process, documentation, safety requirements, fees, deposits, and tariff structure for temporary connections.
BEST has set up facilitation desks at all Customer Service departments to accept applications for temporary electricity connections.
Mandals can also register their applications online through BEST's website and submit a printout at the Customer Service department concerned along with the required documents and undertakings.
The application must include the mandal's name and complete address, the period for which electricity is required, details of the responsible representative and the mandal's bank account details.
Mandals must also submit a prescribed form to receive the refund of their security deposit through NEFT. The application must carry the mandal's official rubber stamp and an undertaking accepting responsibility for the safety of the pandal.
Once the electricity bill is adjusted according to actual consumption, the remaining deposit amount will be transferred to the mandal's bank account through NEFT within one month, provided the prescribed refund form has been submitted.
If the form is not submitted, BEST said the refund will be issued through cheque or demand draft within 90 days.
Mandals erecting pandals on land belonging to private owners or housing societies must obtain and submit permission from the respective landowner or society.
They must also submit either permission from the Electrical Inspector or a copy of the application submitted to the department.
For pandals erected on roads or footpaths, mandals must obtain a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in accordance with a Bombay High Court order dated June 24, 2015.
A copy of the current year's or previous year's permission from the concerned police station must also be submitted. If unavailable, an attested copy of the current year's police application receipt can be provided.
In its Ganeshotsav 2026 BEST guidelines, the undertaking has made electrical safety compliance a key requirement for temporary connections.
Mandals must get their electrical load assessed by a licensed electrical contractor and mention the details in their application. The appointed contractor must submit a testing report recording the total load of all electrical equipment being used.
The testing documents must also include an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) testing report.
BEST has instructed mandals to ensure that pandal wiring has adequate capacity and is installed by a licensed contractor in accordance with the Indian Electricity Rules.
Wires must not be laid along the ground or wound around streetlight poles, while all electrical connections must be properly secured to prevent accidents.
For temporary connections, mandals will have to pay Rs 90 for a single-phase demand application and Rs 145 for a three-phase application.
A connection fee of Rs 150 for single-phase and Rs 200 for three-phase supply will apply where infrastructure already exists. Where infrastructure is unavailable, the actual cost will be charged.
The security deposit will be equivalent to the mandal's Ganeshotsav electricity bill from 2025 or Rs 20 per day per kilowatt for new mandals, whichever is higher.
BEST has prescribed a separate meter deposit of Rs 3,500 for a single-phase meter, Rs 4,700 for a three-phase meter up to 60 kW and Rs 10,500 for a CT meter above 60 kW.
For cabins requiring a temporary meter, mandals must submit the current electricity bill of an existing consumer at the location.
They must also provide a self-signed guarantee for payment of electricity bills and clear any outstanding dues from the previous year's bill and other pending electricity charges before applying.
BEST said electricity charges for temporary connections will be levied according to the 2026 - 27 tariff schedule approved by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission on March 28, 2025.
The charges include fixed charges, interest adjustment charges, electricity supply charges, Maharashtra tax and other applicable taxes.
For Ganeshotsav mandals, electricity will be billed under the concessional residential-category tariff applicable from April 1, 2026.
For consumption of 0-100 units, the fixed charge is Rs 135, with an energy charge of Rs 2.02 per unit and a wheeling charge of Rs 1.82 per unit.
For 101-300 units, the fixed charge is Rs 202.50, with an energy charge of Rs 5.34 per unit. For 301-500 units, the fixed charge remains Rs 202.50, while the energy charge rises to Rs 10.04 per unit.
For consumption above 500 units, the fixed charge is Rs 240 and the energy charge is Rs 11.25 per unit. The wheeling charge remains Rs 1.82 per unit across all slabs.
BEST has advised Ganeshotsav mandals to register their demand applications at the earliest and ensure that all required permissions, testing reports and other documents are submitted.
Mandals requiring further information or clarification can contact the concerned officer at their respective BEST Customer Service department.
