BEST Ganeshotsav guidelines 2026: Mumbai Ganpati mandals must follow THESE power connection and safety rules

Ahead of Ganeshotsav 2026 the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply amp Transport Undertaking BEST has issued guidelines for public Ganeshotsav mandals seeking temporary electricity connections for their pandalsIn its Ganeshotsav 2026 BEST guidelines issued by Public Relations Officer incharge Sunil Vaidya the undertaking detailed the application process documentation safety requirements fees deposits and tariff structure for temporary connectionsBEST sets up facilitation desks for Ganeshotsav applicationsBEST has set up facilitation desks at all Customer Service departments to accept applications for temporary electricity connectionsMandals can also register their applications online through BESTs website and submit a printout at the Customer Service department concerned along with the required documents and undertakingsThe application must include the mandals name and complete address the period for which electricity is required details of the responsible representative and the mandals bank account detailsMandals must also submit a prescribed form to receive the refund of their security deposit through NEFT The application must carry the mandals official rubber stamp and an undertaking accepting responsibility for the safety of the pandalDeposit refunds to be made after bill adjustmentOnce the electricity bill is adjusted according to actual consumption the remaining deposit amount will be transferred to the mandals bank account through NEFT within one month provided the prescribed refund form has been submittedIf the form is not submitted BEST said the refund will be issued through cheque or demand draft within 90 daysPermissions required for pandalsMandals erecting pandals on land belonging to private owners or housing societies must obtain and submit permission from the respective landowner or societyThey must also submit either permission from the Electrical Inspector or a copy of the application submitted to the departmentFor pandals erected on roads or footpaths mandals must obtain a NoObjection Certificate NOC from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC in accordance with a Bombay High Court order dated June 24 2015A copy of the current years or previous years permission from the concerned police station must also be submitted If unavailable an attested copy of the current years police application receipt can be providedElectrical safety norms made mandatoryIn its Ganeshotsav 2026 BEST guidelines the undertaking has made electrical safety compliance a key requirement for temporary connectionsMandals 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 usedThe testing documents must also include an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker ELCB testing reportBEST has instructed mandals to ensure that pandal wiring has adequate capacity and is installed by a licensed contractor in accordance with the Indian Electricity RulesWires must not be laid along the ground or wound around streetlight poles while all electrical connections must be properly secured to prevent accidentsBEST announces application fees and depositsFor temporary connections mandals will have to pay Rs 90 for a singlephase demand application and Rs 145 for a threephase applicationA connection fee of Rs 150 for singlephase and Rs 200 for threephase supply will apply where infrastructure already exists Where infrastructure is unavailable the actual cost will be chargedThe security deposit will be equivalent to the mandals Ganeshotsav electricity bill from 2025 or Rs 20 per day per kilowatt for new mandals whichever is higherMeter deposits fixed for temporary connectionsBEST has prescribed a separate meter deposit of Rs 3500 for a singlephase meter Rs 4700 for a threephase meter up to 60 kW and Rs 10500 for a CT meter above 60 kWFor cabins requiring a temporary meter mandals must submit the current electricity bill of an existing consumer at the locationThey must also provide a selfsigned guarantee for payment of electricity bills and clear any outstanding dues from the previous years bill and other pending electricity charges before applyingGanesh mandals to get concessional residential tariffBEST 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 2025The charges include fixed charges interest adjustment charges electricity supply charges Maharashtra tax and other applicable taxesFor Ganeshotsav mandals electricity will be billed under the concessional residentialcategory tariff applicable from April 1 2026For consumption of 0ndash100 units the fixed charge is Rs 135 with an energy charge of Rs 202 per unit and a wheeling charge of Rs 182 per unitFor 101ndash300 units the fixed charge is Rs 20250 with an energy charge of Rs 534 per unit For 301ndash500 units the fixed charge remains Rs 20250 while the energy charge rises to Rs 1004 per unitFor consumption above 500 units the fixed charge is Rs 240 and the energy charge is Rs 1125 per unit The wheeling charge remains Rs 182 per unit across all slabsBEST urges mandals to apply earlyBEST has advised Ganeshotsav mandals to register their demand applications at the earliest and ensure that all required permissions testing reports and other documents are submittedMandals requiring further information or clarification can contact the concerned officer at their respective BEST Customer Service department