The State government is planning to generate 100 MW power from hydro-electric projects in three years and 400 MW from solar plants to overcome the power crisis, Power Minister Kadakampally Surendran has said.
Replying to demands for grants for power in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Surendran said a course of action had been worked out for completing the power generation projects that had been limping for years and also initiate new ones. Work on 21 sub-stations would be completed by March next, he said. A plan was also evolved for distributing 3.75 crore LED bulbs in phases as part of the power conservation drive. Though there was a deficiency in monsoon, the Kerala State Electricity Board had already entered into power purchase agreements to avert power cut and load-shedding in the coming months, Mr. Surendran said.
The Minister also said the government was working towards achieving the goal of declaring the total electrification of Kerala by March 30 next. The target was to provide power connection to the weaker sections, the marginalised, and those dwelling in houses without door numbers. The government had already issued an order to ensure that power connections were provided to all such families. Secretaries of local self-government institutions had to issue temporary door numbers for helping them to secure power and water connections as well as ration card and Aadhar card for those who did not have title-deed or other documents to prove ownership of their property. Stringent action would be taken against officials who refuse to comply with the order, he said.
The Minister asked PSUs such as the KWA and others to clear their power tariff arrears. Since the KSEB did not have any source of income or government support, the subscribers, including the PSUs, should clear the tariff arrears, he said.
Source:The Hindu
