Supreme Court Deliberates on EV Charging Infrastructure in Housing Societies

The Supreme Court has asked for responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government regarding a PIL on implementing the 2024 EV charging guidelines in housing societies. This followed a plea by Rachit Katyal, who cited barriers to installing private EV charging in his society due to inadequate shared facilities.

The Supreme Court has stepped in to address concerns over electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in housing societies, seeking responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government. The court's move follows a Public Interest Litigation filed by Rachit Katyal, who faces opposition when attempting to set up a private EV charging point in his housing society.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, expressed initial reluctance to entertain another petition but eventually admitted Katyal's plea. This decision came after acknowledging the inadequacy of current charging facilities in Katyal's residential complex, which has only two shared charging points for 56 electric vehicles among 4,000 flats.

Katyal's petition also emphasized the importance of the 2024 guidelines from the Ministry of Power that support residents installing private EV charging units. The court has scheduled the hearing for April 13 and issued notices to relevant authorities, urging them to address these infrastructure challenges faced by EV owners.

(With inputs from agencies.)