Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed told the Assembly on Thursday that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) will undertake a reorganisation of its divisions and sections.
Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for Power, the Minister said that new sections would be formed if an existing section covered 100 sq km or catered to 25,000 connections. New divisions would be formed for every 2 lakh connections. New overseer or sub-engineer offices with bill collection facility would be started in panchayats having neither of the offices.
Mr. Mohammed announced that an expert committee would be formed to look into renovation of ageing hydroelectric projects in the State. Similarly, experts would be consulted about an arrangement for disposal of CFL lamps, which contained mercury, without causing environmental pollution.
He said the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme would be extended to the southern districts. The Centre had sanctioned Rs.89 crore for this purpose. The scheme was already under implementation in northern districts at a cost of Rs.240 crore.
He said that Kerala was the only State in South India which had not declared a power cut. The State, however, was facing peak power shortage. The Central pool did not have capacity to provide additional power to the State. The total demand for power in the State was expected to go up to 6,000 MW by 2020.
Referring to Opposition criticism about purchase of power from a private company when the State had hydel storage, the Minister said that power was purchased at a low rate of Rs.3.5 a unit. It helped the State to maintain the storage in its reservoirs.
Later the House passed the demand for grants amounting to Rs.15.34 crore.
