The Hindu : Kerala News : No power cut this year: Minister

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Monday, Jan 03, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

No power cut this year: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

KANJANI, (THRISSUR DISTRICT) The Electricity Minister, Aryadan Mohammad, has said that the State may do without power cuts this year because of the availability of ample quantity of water in the reservoirs of the power generation units.

Talking to the reporters before the inauguration of the 100 kv Kandassankadavu power station today, the Minister said water in the reservoirs in the State would be sufficient to generate 50 per cent of the State's power requirements for the next four months. Last year the State could generate only 36 per cent of the power from the hydel stations. He said the State Government was now paying only about Rs. 545 crores as subsidy to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). Out of this, nearly Rs. 200 crores would be adjusted as duty charges. Another Rs. 14 crores would be given as guarantee charges. So the real subsidy burden of the KSEB is only about Rs. 331 crores.

Subsidy to continue

The position of the State Government is that it should continue the subsidy. However, in the long run it would be possible to run the KSEB without any subsidy burden and without any hike in power charges because of the possibility of getting cheaper power from the NTPC and selling some high cost power from the Kayamkulam thermal power station to other States. He said negotiations were on with the NTPC to get 180-mega watt of cheaper electricity to the State. Similarly, the State would augment its hydel generation facilities by reducing the environmental impacts to the bare minimum levels.

Electricity for all

Replying to questions, the Minister said that he had submitted a Rs. 800-crore project to reach electricity to all the areas. The Centre had accepted the project in principle and orders were likely to be issued soon. Similarly, the Centre has sanctioned a Rs.129-crore project for reducing the transmission and distribution losses in 26 municipalities of the State. Later, the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, inaugurated the power station.

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