An action committee formed for speedy implementation of the Kakkayam small hydro project has called upon the Chief Minister to take action against officials responsible for the delay in completing the project.
“Crores of rupees had been lost because of bureaucratic delay that had held up land acquisition for the project,” Andrews Kattikkana, convener, alleged in a statement on Monday.
The Kakkayam project was conceived as a means to generate electricity to help ease power shortage in the State, making use of water released from the Kuttiadi hydroelectric project, which is the biggest hydro-electric project in northern Kerala.
It was expected to have capacity of three MW and fetch annual revenue of Rs.10.5 crore. According to the original plan, it was to start production in March this year.
Except for two acres needed for the project, the KSEB had earlier acquired the land needed for the project.
“The Revenue Department and the Land Revenue Commissioner are responsible for the delay in acquisition of the remaining two acres needed for commissioning the power project.
If the two acres had been acquired, power production would have started in March,” the action committee convener alleged.
The committee said because of the delay in land acquisition and the delay in completion of the project, the cost of the Kakkayam project would shoot up and fresh contract with revised rates would have to be signed.
The machinery was also at risk of getting rusted and damaged because of the delay.
Appealing to the Chief Minister to order an inquiry to fix responsibility for the delay in completing the project and take action against the officials responsible for causing loss to the exchequer, the action committee warned it would organise a mass agitation for making the project operational without further delay.
