Power crisis: Opposition stages walkout

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition stormed out of the Assembly on Monday in protest against what it termed the UDF Government’s inept handling of the power crisis. An adjournment motion on the issue moved by CPM’s A K Balan was rejected by Speaker G Karthikeyan following which the Opposition staged the walk-out. According to Balan, mismanagement by the KSEB had forced imposition of the burden of a thermal power surcharge and announced and  unannounced loadsheddings upon the consumers.  The UDF Government could have done without the surcharge - 25 paise per unit collected from October 1 - as the KSEB had a revenue surplus of Rs 22 crore, he argued.Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed in his reply said  that the proposal for imposing thermal fuel surcharge was moved not by the UDF Government, but by the previous LDF Government when Balan was Electricity Minister.  The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission had allowed the KSEB petition finding the KSEB cause just. ‘’If there indeed was surplus, the Commission would not have allowed the surcharge,’’ he said.He said that the power supply from the central power stations continued to be a matter of concern, but the State Government hoped to completely roll back peak-hour loadsheddings soon. The KSEB was committed to purchasing substitute power to tide over the crisis whatever be the cost, Aryadan Mohammed said.  Although Kerala was entitled to 1134.33 MW as Central share, the state had been getting only around 950 MW.This was cut down further following the crisis at Talcher II and Ramagundam power stations, he said.