The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Balan: tariff hike after Cabinet nod

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 11, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Balan: tariff hike after Cabinet nod

Special Correspondent

No decision yet on subsidy to KSEB

Shortfall this year put at 5,000 million units
Additional liability of Rs.3,500 crore for KSEB

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Power and Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities A.K. Balan says the government has not yet considered subsidy to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to offset its revenue deficit resulting from the failure of monsoon.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for Power and Social Welfare including Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the Assembly on Thursday, the Minister said the KSEB had been directed to submit its petition for tariff revision to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission only after Cabinet approval.

The Minister said the State required 15,500 million units of electricity a year. The shortfall this year could be of 5,000 million units. This would translate into an additional liability of Rs.3,500 crore for the KSEB for purchase of electricity. The KSEB could not meet this expenditure as it got no government support now.

Refuting Opposition criticism, Mr. Balan said the KSEB had only sold electricity generated using runoff water to a public sector unit outside the State. It had maintained reservoir levels for one and a half months at the end of May. He could not have predicted failure of monsoon.

The practice had been to keep enough storage for use up to June 30 only.

He said that the Athirappilly hydroelectric project would be taken up after clearing the case before the High Court. Engineers who had bungled up the design of the Adyanpara project would be dismissed from service. A Rs.304-crore project would be carried out for the automation of power supply in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode cities. A separate wing would be formed in the KSEB to ensure safety of electrical installations.

Medical treatment

The Minister said the full costs for medical treatment of all tribal people were being met by the government now. However, five members from ruling parties and 15 from the Opposition had not recommended anyone for assistance till now while lakhs of rupees had been sanctioned to applicants recommended by other members.

He announced that Plus One courses would be started in nine more model residential schools for tribals. Model English medium residential schools would be started in Palakkad and Thrissur.

Minister for Health and Social Welfare P.K. Sreemathy told the House that an anganwadi in each Assembly constituency would be converted into community resource centre. Health cards would be provided to all children in the anganwadis.

The Minister said that Rs.60 crore had been allocated for the proposed social security mission. Mahila mandirams would be set up in Idukki and Wayanad districts. A children’s home and observation home were also planned in Idukki.

After the replies by the Ministers, the House passed the demands for grants totalling Rs.908.75 crore.

Crematorium

Minister for Local Self-Government Paloli Mohammed Kutty informed the House that 522 panchayats do not have public crematorium. Of these panchayats, 69 were in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section