Thiruvananthapuram, 06 Nov (H.S.): Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Friday strongly rejected Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan’s allegations over the state’s electricity crisis, asserting that the government had taken decisions on power procurement only after carefully examining their financial implications.

Responding to Vijayan’s criticism, Satheesan said his government would not blindly approve proposals submitted by officials without assessing their impact on public finances.

He questioned why the Opposition Leader was defending agreements involving expensive electricity purchases during solar generation hours and peak demand periods.

The Chief Minister accused the previous government of cancelling a 25-year power purchase agreement signed during the earlier UDF administration at Rs 4.29 per unit after eight years of implementation. He alleged that the subsequent procurement of electricity from private agencies at rates ranging between Rs 8 and Rs 14 per unit had imposed an unnecessary financial burden.

Rejecting claims about cheaper electricity from Himachal Pradesh, Satheesan said no official commitment had been made to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to supply power at Rs 12.50 per unit.

He challenged Vijayan to disclose the source of the proposal, pointing out that the actual tariff, including the intermediary margin charged by PTC, would reach Rs 14.50 per unit.

Satheesan also questioned how Himachal Pradesh could supply electricity to Kerala at lower rates when Rajasthan had reportedly approved purchases at higher tariffs.

Explaining the power shortage, the Chief Minister said Kerala had faced power cuts in September but managed to avoid further disruptions in October by procuring electricity from other states and public sector agencies.

He said KSEB had subsequently sought urgent government intervention after open tenders failed to secure adequate supplies.

The government’s decisions, he maintained, were aimed at preventing further power cuts without imposing excessive financial burdens on consumers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman