The Hindu : Power cut no solution to crisis: Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Power cut no solution to crisis: Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM SEPT. 21. The Electricity Minister, Kadavoor Sivadasan, said here on Saturday that power cut and load shedding would not be a solution to the power crisis in the State.

The Minister told presspersons that only Rs. 20 crores a month could be saved through load shedding while the Board's monthly losses stood at Rs. 184 crores.

Mr. Sivadasan noted that the Board, which had recommended doubling of load shedding from half an hour to one hour, had urged the Government to find Rs. 77 crores needed for purchase of costly thermal power in view of the fall in generation from hydel sources.

He said that though the Board need not be running at profit, it should break even. Otherwise, debts and interest on debts would keep on mounting.

The annual losses of the Board, which was Rs. 188 crores in 1995-96, had increased to Rs. 1479 crores by 2000-01. It had availed loans totalling Rs. 4800 crores during the LDF rule. Most of this was not spent on productive investment. So, the burden of the Board was bound to increase.

The Minister said that he had certain proposals to tide over the situation.

These would be discussed at the next meeting of the UDF liaison committee.

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