The government is trying its best to avoid power cut under all circumstances, Power Minister M.M. Mani has said.
Power generation in the State was low and only 30% of the requirement was produced now. The rest was being purchased from outside, the Minister told the House on Wednesday.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) was trying its best to avoid power cut by entering into long-term power purchase agreement with agencies outside the State, he said.
Replying to a question by Anwar Sadath, he said that though the previous government had opened 30 new substations, not a single post had been created.
There were restrictions on new appointments in the KSEB with the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Board pointing out that the KSEB, with over 34,000 employees, was overstaffed, the Minister said.
Yet, considering various requirements, over 1,000 persons had been appointed, he said.
The work on all power projects in the State was lagging. If the previous government had followed up the work on the Pallivasal extension project, more power could have been produced. The government was now taking steps to complete all unfinished as well as new power projects, he said.
Considering the acute situation of power, the then government had already launched a campaign to create public awareness and to seek their cooperation in restricting the use of electricity. A total shift to the use of LED bulbs for street lights was also being considered as part of reducing power consumption.
