The State may not have to face power crisis for the next 10 years, Power Minister A.K. Balan has said.
Releasing the Sevotham Certification awarded by the Bureau of Indian Standards to the Kerala Electrical Inspectorate here on Friday, Mr. Balan said a conscious effort was being made to reduce transmission loss from 38 per cent to 18 per cent and now the aim was to further bring it down to 15 per cent. The energy saving measures like distribution of CFL bulbs and reducing transmission loss were as good as generating power. By reducing the carbon emission, the State would be eligible for carbon credit too, he said.
The Inspectorate had earned the distinction of becoming the first government department in the country to win the IS 15700:2005 service quality management systems certification licence. This was an approval for the efficient and quality service being rendered to the public by the department, he said.
Mr. Balan said that 30 projects had been envisaged to generate 3,000 MW in 10 years. Preliminary steps had been completed for starting work on a project at Cheemeni. Since the government assumed office, it was possible to generate 190 MW. The ultimate aim was to make the State self-sufficient in the power sector within the next 25 years. Voltage fluctuation had become a thing of the past. While 40,000 transformers were installed in the State over a period of 55 years, during the tenure of the present government, 16,600 transformers had been installed. This year alone the KSEB had installed 6,000 transformers, he said.
Though the power needs of the State were growing, there were hitches in clearing new projects. The best instance was the Athirappilly project. After conducting studies for 15 years, the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had now denied clearance. Such moves would stymie the progress in the sector, he said.
In his presidential address, V. Sivankutty, MLA, said the media was turning a blind eye to the achievements of the government and trying to run a negative campaign.
There was a conscious effort to ignore the remarkable strides made by the government in various sectors, he said.
Chief Electrical Inspector K.K. Unni welcomed. Additional Chief Electrical Inspector and nodal office, apex level, E.R. Premachandra Das presented the report. Law Minister M. Vijayakumar was the chief guest. District panchayat president Anavoor Nagappan, Director and Head of BIS, Thiruvananthapuram, R.C. Mathew, and Power Department Principal Secretary Paul Antony were also present. Deputy Chief Electrical Inspector V.C. Anil Kumar proposed a vote of thanks.
