13 hrs ago
Kerala's Power Crisis Deepens as Ashok Challenges Vijayan
Kerala is facing power shortages, especially at night.
Leaders are arguing about why this happened.
A long-term agreement to buy 465 megawatts of electricity was cancelled during the previous LDF government.
Pinarayi Vijayan says the agreement had legal problems and blames an earlier UDF government.
He also says his government handled high electricity demand by buying more power and swapping electricity with other states.
Former KSEB chief B. Ashok says officials should not be blamed for the agreement issue.
Ashok says the bigger problem is poor long-term planning and not having enough storage for daytime renewable energy.
Vijayan has accused the UDF government of creating a shortage to weaken KSEB and encourage privatisation.
Their disagreement is now both a technical argument about electricity and a political personal dispute.
Former KSEB Chairman B. Ashok accused Pinarayi Vijayan of shifting blame to officials over cancelled power agreements.
Vijayan said the original 465 MW agreement had legal deficiencies and blamed the earlier UDF government for the crisis.
Ashok said KSEB officials committed no lapse and that official records could clarify what happened.
Vijayan argued the LDF government managed higher demand through costly purchases and power swaps.
The dispute has gained a personal dimension after Ashok's suspension and later reinstatement amid tensions with the previous government.
- Who
- Former KSEB Chairman B. Ashok and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are the main figures in the dispute, alongside the UDF and LDF governments.
- What
- They are arguing over the cancellation of a 465 MW long-term power purchase agreement and the causes of Kerala's current power shortages.
- Where
- Kerala, with the political exchange centered in Thiruvananthapuram.
- When
- The dispute is ongoing; Ashok was suspended in April this year and reinstated in June.
- Why
- The disagreement concerns legal responsibility for the cancelled agreement, long-term power planning, and allegations about efforts to weaken or privatise KSEB.
Vijayan's and LDF-aligned Position
Ashok's and Current Government Position
Responsibility for the cancelled agreement
Vijayan's and LDF-aligned Position
Vijayan says the 2015 agreement had legal deficiencies and rejects the claim that its cancellation under the LDF government caused the current shortage.
Ashok's and Current Government Position
Ashok and the current government associate the cancellation with the present power crisis, while Ashok says officials should not be blamed for decisions reflected in official records.
Cause of the power shortage
Vijayan's and LDF-aligned Position
Vijayan blames the earlier UDF government and says the LDF handled higher demand through expensive electricity purchases and power swaps.
Ashok's and Current Government Position
Ashok says the crisis reflects inadequate long-term planning, particularly a lack of storage for renewable energy generated during the day.
Alleged political motive
Vijayan's and LDF-aligned Position
Vijayan alleges that the UDF government is deliberately creating a shortage to push KSEB into crisis and eventually promote privatisation.
Ashok's and Current Government Position
Ashok says such allegations do not address the administrative and technical problems facing Kerala's power sector.
Key facts
- Disputed agreement
- A 465 MW long-term power purchase agreement was cancelled under the previous LDF government.
- Original agreement
- The agreement was signed in 2015 during the UDF government.
- Vijayan's position
- Pinarayi Vijayan said the original agreement lacked prior approval from the regulatory commission or the government.
- Ashok's position
- B. Ashok said KSEB officials committed no lapse and that records could establish the facts.
- Power demand
- Vijayan said the LDF government managed peak demand of about 6,100 MW without power cuts.
- Ashok's explanation
- Ashok attributed the crisis to inadequate long-term planning and insufficient storage for daytime renewable energy.
- Administrative dispute
- Ashok was suspended in April this year and reinstated about one-and-a-half months later in June.
Sources
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