Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

KSEB blamed for failure to replace streetlights

Special Correspondent

KSEB chairman says problems will be solved soon

Thiruvananthapuram: Mayor C.Jayan Babu on Tuesday accused the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) of gross negligence in operating streetlights in the city. Presiding over a meeting of KSEB officials to discuss the issue of street lighting, he said many parts of the city were in darkness even though the Corporation had handed over Rs.12 lakhs worth of electrical fixtures, including 40,000 tubelights, to the KSEB.

Quoting reports from councillors, Mr.Babu said the majority of streetlamps in the city were not functioning despite repeated pleas from the public. "The Corporation is remitting an amount of Rs.39 lakhs to the KSEB as monthly tariff for streetlighting. The meter installation and fitting charges levied by the KSEB are unaffordable for local bodies."

The Mayor also alleged that the KSEB was collecting an unjustifiably steep charge for streetlights that are shifted for road widening. "Over the last two years, we have remitted Rs.1.68 lakhs as deposit to the KSEB," he said. Mr.Babu sought a unified rate for the charges levied for various works.

Thiruvananthapuram East MLA V.Sivankutty underlined the need to strengthen the existing system to monitor the replacement of damaged streetlamps. West MLA V.Surendran Pillai urged the KSEB to accord priority for streetlighting.

KSEB chairman T.M.Manoharan assured the meeting that Sub Engineers would be posted in each electrical section to handle streetlighting. He said the problems raised by councillors would be tackled on a war footing.

Councillors and standing committee chairmen appealed to the KSEB to consider a reduction in the power tariff imposed on the electric crematorium. Mr.Manoharan said policy matters would be sorted out after discussions with the Electricity Minister.

Deputy Mayor V.Jayaprakash, standing committee chairmen, UDF leader Johnson Joseph, Corporation Secretary T.K.Raveendran, KSEB member Bhadran and Chief Engineer Abdul Salam were present.

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