Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

State seeks more power

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday urging the Centre to come to the State’s assistance in handling the energy crisis brought about by the poor monsoon this year.

The resolution, moved by Electricity Minister A.K. Balan asked the Union government to give the State 1,041 MW (constituting its full quota) of energy from the Central power stations, in addition to 300 MW from the unallocated pool in view of the crisis.

The resolution said the storage of water in the reservoirs feeding the hydro-electric stations in the State at present was only one-third of what it was on the corresponding day last year. Last year, the State had generated around 8,000 million units of power from these stations. Poor rainfall so far this monsoon was expected to cause a shortfall of about 4,000 million units from these stations this year.

On top of this, there was a drastic reduction in the receipt of power from the Central stations, with which the State had power purchase agreements. While the State’s grid was eligible for 1,041 MW of support from the Central stations, the actual receipt was trailing between 600 MW and 700 MW.

In terms of quantum, against a receipt of 7,300 million units last year, the State could expect only around 6,000 million units this year [if matters were to continue as at present].

Thus the State was up against a total shortfall of more than 5,000 million units of energy from the hydro-electric stations and Central stations. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) could not bear the financial burden involved in bridging this gap through purchases from expensive private power stations and stations running on high-cost naphtha and diesel, the resolutions said.

The Opposition sought an amendment in the resolution calling upon the State government to subsidise the KSEB to the extent of the additional financial burden involved. This amendment was put to vote and defeated, while the resolution itself was carried by the House unanimously.

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

Stories in this Section

Sanitation drive to be launched in schools
Preparations for ‘vavu bali’
Community policing for ensuring safety in railways
Congress leaders congratulate Manmohan
State seeks more power
UDF stages walkout
Government to exempt PSUs from retail surcharge
Judicial probe sought into teacher’s death
Date extended
City manual released
Focus on reproductive rights
Farmers’ group wants paddy Bill enacted this session
KWA inquiry loses direction
DCC alleges LDF plot to relocate offices
Murder of minor: mother examined
Collector issues summons to suspects
Insurance plan for fish workers

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu