ORDER

The instant petition has been filed under Section 79(1)(c) of the Electricity Act, 2003 read with Regulation 42 of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Connectivity and General Network Access to the Inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022 (‘GNA Regulations’) inter alia seeking directions to the CTUIL to allow change of the source of connectivity with partial conversion from Land BG route to LoA route.

The Petitioner has made the following prayers vide the instant Petition:

(a) Direct CTUIL to decide the Petitioner’s application dated 15.09.2025 for change of source of connectivity from solar to wind as per Regulation 9.3 of the GNA Regulations (inserted by way of the Third Amendment) forthwith without any delay and preconditions including the delay on account of transition;

(b) Direct CTUIL to issue final grant of connectivity to the Petitioner in accordance with Regulation 9 of GNA Regulations;

(c) Direct CTUIL to evaluate the documents submitted by Petitioner towards compliance of Regulation 11A based on wind source and allow conversion of connectivity from Land BG route to LoA route as requested by Petitioner.

(d) Direct CTUIL to restrain from taking any coercive action against the Petitioner, including under Regulation 11B of the GNA Regulations; and

(e) Pass any other or further order(s) as this Hon’ble Commission may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case and in the interest of justice.

Petitioner has also sought the following interim reliefs vide the instant Petition:

(a) Pass an ad-interim ex-parte order restraining the Respondent from taking any coercive action against the Petitioner, including under Regulation 11B of the GNA Regulations, during the pendency of the present Petition; and

(b) Pass any other or further order(s) as this Hon’ble Commission may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case and in the interest of justice.

Petitioner vide IA Number 129/2025 has made the following prayers:

(a) Allow the present Application;

(b) List, hear and consider the Petition bearing No. 856/MP/2025 titled ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited v. Central Transmission Utility of India Limited for urgent hearing on 09.12.2025 or 11.12.2025, whichever is convenient to this Hon’ble Commission, in terms of the directions of the Hon’ble High Court vide order dated 05.12.2025;

(c) In continuation of the interim relief sought before this Hon’ble Commission in the present petition, it is most humbly prayed that this Hon’ble Commission stay the letter dated 04.12.2025 issued by CTUIL thereby revoking the in-principle grant of connectivity of the Applicant’s 400 MW Project.

And/or

(d) Pass any other order(s)/direction(s) as deemed necessary in the interest of justice and equity.

Submissions of the Petitioner:

Petitioner has submitted as under:

(a) On 12.01.2024, the Petitioner applied for the grant of connectivity for a 400 MW solar project under the LAND BG route at the Pachora PS in Madhya Pradesh. Petitioner also furnished a bank guarantee in lieu of Land dated 12.01.2024, amounting to Rs. 40 Crore. CTUIL granted in-principle connectivity to the Petitioner on 10.04.2024. Thereafter, Petitioner submitted Conn-BG1, Conn-BG2, and Conn-BG3 on 09.05.2024. Accordingly, under Regulation 9 of the GNA Regulations, CTUIL was obligated to issue final connectivity to the Petitioner by 14.05.2024, i.e., 15 days from the date of submission of the bank guarantee by the Petitioner. However, CTUIL has not to date issued final connectivity to the Petitioner.

(b) Petitioner is obligated to submit land documents within 18 months of issuance of an in-principle grant of connectivity or within 12 months of issuance of a final grant of Connectivity, whichever is earlier, as per Regulation 11A of the GNA Regulations. The Petitioner may also convert its connectivity from the Land BG route to the LoA route by submitting a valid LoA in terms of regulation 5.8(xi)(a) of the