Electricity

The technology revolution has brought electricity to the forefront. To regulate the generation, supply and use of electricity, the first legislation was the Electricity Act of 1887 which provided for the protection of person and property, from injury and risks, attendant to the supply and user of electricity for lighting and other purposes. This Act was repealed and replaced by the Indian Electricity Act, 1903 (3 of 1903). Many practical, electro technical and commercial difficulties were realised during the period of 1903 to 1909. To deal with these difficulties a Bill viz. the Indian Electricity Bill was introduced in 1907 in the Central legislation to amend the law relating to the supply and use of electrical energy. Among the more important modifications in the Bill was for mining, it was proposed to amend the provisions of Part III of the Act so as to make them applicable to mines and binding on the Crown and this was a beginning for electricity legislations for Indian mines.

To Mining Engineer electricity legislations does not make an interesting reading. DGMS has issued several circulars on electricity but these are also to be read with references to the Electricity Rules. The result is that maximum of mining engineers are not comfortable with the subject – whose significance is increasing day by day with increasing mechanization and increasing use of electricity in mines. Electricity rules are very general in nature because they are applicable not only to mines, but also to each and every other place where electricity is generated, transmitted or used.

In this section an attempt is made to compile the all Electricity related legislation like Indian Electricity rules-1956, Energy conservation Act-2001 and National Electrical policy etc.