Minister hints at power tariff hike

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 26. Hinting that a power tariff hike is in the offing, the Electricity Minister, Mr. Kadavoor Sivadasan, has said that tough measures are required to make the financially-ailing Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) ship- shape.

Inaugurating a seminar on ``Information Technology and Electricity Consumers'' organised by the KSEB Officer's Association here today, Mr. Sivadasan said that Information Technology should be harnessed to make all affairs of the KSEB more transparent to the public as well as policy makers.

He said information regarding the resources, assets and manpower of the KSEB was hard to come by even to those at the top echelons of the Power Ministry. ``We do not even know whether the KSEB's various assets have been acquired by somebody else,'' he said illustrating the pathetic state of affairs in the Board.

Soliciting the cooperation of KSEB employees, the Minister chided the ``so-called progressive trade unions'' for their earlier opposition to innovations such as computerisation and automation of government and public sector units.

He pointed out that ``trade union tyranny'' had impeded upgradation of traditional sectors such as the coir industry. The introduction of mechanised ratts in the coir sector was once vehemently opposed by trade unions in the belief that the measure would displace labour. ``It is good that the trade unions and so- called progressive forces have accepted the fact that upgrading human resources by imparting computer training was the need of the hour. Opposition to the developments in science and technology would serve no purpose,'' he said.

Mr. Sivadasan pointed out there was a glut of staff and engineers in the KSEB which was incurring a huge loss every day. Most of the staff were concentrated in cities like Thiruvananthapuram, while KSEB facilities in rural districts like Malappuram were lacking in sufficient staff strength. The KSEB management was facing resistance in even effecting the minimal of transfers, he said.

The Minister urged environmental groups resisting hydel energy projects in Silent Valley and other rivers to review their stance in the interest of the State's development. ``We are facing a serious power crisis and hydel projects are the answer to cheap and abundant power,'' he pointed out.

Mr. Sivadasan said privatisation was no answer to the power requirements of the State. But the KSEB has to realise that there was no other option but to make the board competitive and efficient in the coming days.

The Minister said there should be more transparency in awarding contracts. ``When I perused certain files, I was surprised by the devices and tricks employed by certain quarters to milk the KSEB dry,'' he said.

Mr. M. Ravindran Nair, director, Centre for Computer Aided Power Sector Studies, C-CAPSS, presented the reported. The president of the Association, Mr. P. Parameswaran, welcomed the gathering. Mr. P. A. Siddhartha Menon, former chairman, KSEB, moderated the seminar. Mr. Vijayaraghavan, former CEO, Technopark, delivered the key-note address.

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