The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Power cut not justified: Aryadan

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Power cut not justified: Aryadan

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Electricity Minister and senior Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed said here on Thursday that the Kerala State Electricity Board’s decision to impose 25 per cent restriction and its move for a thermal cess on power consumption was unnecessary and unjustified.

Addressing a press meet, Mr. Mohammed said the restrictions had been imposed not because of power shortage, but because of the KSEB’s inefficiency.

The State government had also failed to provide subsidy to the KSEB to cover a short gap in revenue as a result of which the industrial sector had been pushed into a major crisis.

He claimed the board earned Rs.1,540 crore through the sale of power during the February-April period. A portion of this amount could be earmarked toward defraying the additional cost of power purchase during the lean months. The KSEB’s planning was also flawed as it did not make provisions for delayed monsoons, he said. The former Electricity Minister said power had been sold to neighbouring States on earlier occasions, including during his tenure, but the UDF government had taken care to ensure that the benefits percolated to various sectors. At the end of his tenure in 2006, the KSEB had made a profit of Rs.240 crore, even after making provision for subsidy given to domestic consumers.

On thermal cess

The thermal cess was unjustified because many of the thermal generating stations were not being utilised and the State was paying fixed costs to these units. “On occasions as this, power from these units could be utilised,” he said.

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