Feb 02, 2025 06:28 AM IST
The Bombay High Court has ordered the state to create rules for cooperative housing societies to permit EV charging points for members.
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has directed the state government to frame rules for cooperative housing societies (CHS) to allow their members install charging points for electric vehicles (EVs). A division bench of justices Girish Kulkarni and Advait Sethna issued the order, which was released on Friday, after hearing a petition filed by a Malabar Hill-based businessman, Amit Dholakia, whose housing society did not allow him to install an EV charging point in its premises.

Dholakia, a resident of Bhagwati Bhuwan CHS at Carmichael Road, had applied for a no-objection certificate to obtain a new electric connection/metre for a charging station in his garage for his new EV in May 2022. However, the CHS rejected the application, saying it had no policy to allow individual members to install charging infrastructure for their EVs. His application was rejected.
So, in June 2022, Dholakia wrote to the urban development department, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for charging infrastructure but received no replies, prompting him to approach the court.
Advocate Harsh Seth, representing Dholakia, pointed out that though the state government is promoting EVs, its policy is silent on charging infrastructure in housing societies. He expressed the need to incorporate it in the model by-laws for housing societies.
Additional government pleader Abhay Patki responded to the petition by pointing out that the state government is taking appropriate steps to instruct housing societies to allow members to install EV charging points, subject to availability of space.
The bench, however, found that apart from some communication, the authorities had not taken any concrete steps.
The court has directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to finalise draft rules for installation of charging stations in cooperative societies for EVs expeditiously. It has also asked the registrar to issue directions to housing societies under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act to amend their by-laws in accordance with the finalised rules.

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