+
Kerala Chief Minister Blames Previous Government For Power Crisis
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Kerala Chief Minister Blames Previous Government For Power Crisis

Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan blamed the previous government for the state's power crisis after it scrapped a 25-year power purchase agreement that the Oommen Chandy administration had signed with private electricity producers. He said the pact supplied power at around Rs 4.29 per unit and covered 25 years, including one year of the Chandy administration and seven years under the Left Democratic Front. Satheesan said the decision exposed the state to market volatility.

He said that if the agreement had remained in force private companies would have been obliged to supply electricity and the state would not have had to seek power in the open market at higher rates. He noted electricity was scarce in open markets as demand was high amid an El Nino weather phenomenon. Water storage in hydel dams had fallen to 28 per cent from 61 per cent last year, rainfall had reduced by 50 to 56 per cent and consumption had risen by 800 to 1000 megawatt (MW), producing a shortfall.

Satheesan said that after cancellation the Left administration bought power from private firms, including Adani, at rates of Rs 8 to Rs 14 per unit. He added that the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission had recommended the scrap and that the pact was abandoned after eight years citing procedural errors.

Satheesan said the crisis had emerged within a month of the new government taking office and that the administration was taking measures to address shortages. The government had bought 200 MW from the open market for around Rs 5 per unit and was seeking to procure a further 200 MW at lower rates. He said the Kerala State Electricity Board would be asked to review advance notification of power cuts and any lapses would be examined as part of efforts to reduce outages.

Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan blamed the previous government for the state's power crisis after it scrapped a 25-year power purchase agreement that the Oommen Chandy administration had signed with private electricity producers. He said the pact supplied power at around Rs 4.29 per unit and covered 25 years, including one year of the Chandy administration and seven years under the Left Democratic Front. Satheesan said the decision exposed the state to market volatility. He said that if the agreement had remained in force private companies would have been obliged to supply electricity and the state would not have had to seek power in the open market at higher rates. He noted electricity was scarce in open markets as demand was high amid an El Nino weather phenomenon. Water storage in hydel dams had fallen to 28 per cent from 61 per cent last year, rainfall had reduced by 50 to 56 per cent and consumption had risen by 800 to 1000 megawatt (MW), producing a shortfall. Satheesan said that after cancellation the Left administration bought power from private firms, including Adani, at rates of Rs 8 to Rs 14 per unit. He added that the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission had recommended the scrap and that the pact was abandoned after eight years citing procedural errors. Satheesan said the crisis had emerged within a month of the new government taking office and that the administration was taking measures to address shortages. The government had bought 200 MW from the open market for around Rs 5 per unit and was seeking to procure a further 200 MW at lower rates. He said the Kerala State Electricity Board would be asked to review advance notification of power cuts and any lapses would be examined as part of efforts to reduce outages.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Set for 2027

The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, linking Surat and Vapi, is targeted to begin services in 2027. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that an inauguration could take place around the middle of 2027. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said the train being manufactured in India is expected to reach the tracks around April or May 2027. The train will undergo extensive testing before the section is opened for passenger services. The project began construction in 2021 and includ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Indian Railways Approves Four Projects Worth Rs. 7.36 bn Across Four States

Indian Railways has approved four projects with a combined value of Rs. 7.36 bn across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The programme covers train protection, signalling, electric traction supply and a road overbridge, with each project assigned to a different railway zone. In Uttar Pradesh, Rs. 2.52 bn has been approved to extend the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system across 607.7 km in the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway. The system monitors train movements and can apply the brakes if a driver fails to observe a signal or exceeds a safe speed. The w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Chandru Raheja Sells 1.49% Stake in Mindspace REIT for Rs. 5 bn

Billionaire Chandru Lachmandas Raheja has sold a 1.49 per cent holding in Mindspace Business Parks REIT for Rs. 5 bn through a bulk deal on the BSE. The transaction involved 9.9 mn units and was executed at an average price of Rs. 505 per unit, according to exchange data. Following the sale, units of Mindspace Business Parks REIT were trading 0.18 per cent lower at Rs. 504.05 on Tuesday. Exchange data did not identify the buyers involved in the transaction. Raheja is the chairman of real estate company K Raheja Corp. The sale involved 99,00,990 units, representing 1.49 per cent of the Mumbai-b..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code