Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

KSEB-Corporation row puts streetlights to sleep

Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar

no use: Streetlights on the Chakka-airport road in the city await power connection. -

Thiruvananthapuram: A prolonged dispute between the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the city Corporation has resulted in the failure to power the streetlights on a key road from the airport to the city for over two years.

The reconstructed stretch of the airport-Palayam road corridor passing through Chakka, Pettah and Pattoor remains dark, except at the junctions. Motorists and pedestrians have to depend on the headlights of vehicles or the feeble light from shops and houses by the roadside.

The long line of bi-arm masts stretching along the median is yet to become operational, despite several attempts to find a negotiated settlement.

The streetlights were installed by Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL) as part of the City Roads Improvement Project. Under an agreement with the State government, the TRDCL is bound to maintain the streetlights on the redeveloped sections for 15 years. The Corporation, however, has to foot the power bill. The new streetlights were fitted with timers and low-consumption sodium vapour lamps.

“The lamps were selected for optimum dispersion of light. We even installed meters and panel boards near transformers. But, two years hence, none of the lamps have become operational,” says an official of the roads project.

The dispute arose after the KSEB demanded fresh connection charges for the streetlights. The Corporation maintains that it is not bound to pay since the light masts were only shifted from the sides of the road to the median after widening the carriageway.

The issue remains unresolved even after several rounds of discussions between the Corporation and the KSEB. Last year, the Corporation Council adopted a resolution urging the government to waive the additional deposit sought by the KSEB.

Chairman of the Corporation’s Standing Committee on Works K. Rajasekharan Nair said the demand for connection charges was unjustifiable since none of the streetlights was a new installation. He said the issue was brought to the notice of the Electricity Minister.

At a meeting convened by Mayor C. Jayan Babu last week, KSEB officials said only a government-level decision could resolve the contentious issue. The Mayor is likely to meet the Electricity Minister shortly to break the deadlock.

Mr.Nair alleged that the KSEB was placing unreasonable demands on the local body.

“Damaged streetlights are not replaced in time. Yet, the Corporation has to remit the power tariff, leading to a heavy drain on our finances,” he said.

Earlier, the Corporation had decided to install power meters for streetlights to avoid wastage of funds. An amount of Rs.20 lakh was remitted for the purpose. But that proposal too ran into trouble after the KSEB informed the Corporation that it would no longer be responsible for operation and maintenance of streetlights if the power meters were installed.

CPI(M) leaders in the Corporation said the issue had been referred to the party leadership for a settlement.

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