Probe demanded into Kerala power purchase deal and smart meter delays

Power Purchase Row

The Electricity Employees' Federation of India has demanded an independent probe into the government's move to buy electricity through a private trading platform. EEFI national president Elamaram Kareem stated that the plan to purchase 500 megawatts of power from the GNA Energy OTC platform at 8.63 rupees per unit will create an extra financial burden of 727 crore rupees for the State. Mr. Kareem alleged that the government ignored the objections raised by the Kerala State Electricity Board against this deal. He also claimed that the Electricity Minister, Sunny Joseph, supported the KSEB position but was overruled. Furthermore, the EEFI leader stated that IAS officer M.G. Rajamanickam was transferred from his post as chairman and managing director of KSEB for refusing to follow the government line.

Smart Meter Delays

The union also raised serious concerns about the delay in issuing the work order for the second phase of smart electricity meters. The validity of the bid for this project expires on November 11. Months ago, the KSEB cleared the lowest-quoted bid to install smart meters for 50 lakh consumers under the CAPEX mode.

Context

Public utilities like electricity boards often face complex financial and administrative decisions regarding power procurement and infrastructure upgrades. Independent reviews and transparent bidding processes are commonly demanded by labor unions and public watchdogs when state-run bodies and government directives come into conflict over large public expenditures.