EEFI Demands Probe Into Kerala Power Purchase And Smart Meter Delay

Probe Demanded

The Electricity Employees' Federation of India has called for an independent investigation into the government's push to buy electricity through a private trading platform despite objections from the Kerala State Electricity Board. EEFI national president and senior CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem alleged that a plan to purchase 500 MW of power from the GNA Energy OTC platform at ₹8.63 per unit will create an extra financial burden of ₹727 crore. He also stated that this purchase will fail to meet the State's peak-hour electricity demand.

Ministerial Overrule

Mr. Kareem claimed that Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph supported the KSEB position against the deal, but his stance was overruled by the government. The KSEB had formally warned authorities about the heavy financial liability before the decision was made. Furthermore, Mr. Kareem alleged that IAS officer M.G. Rajamanickam was removed from his post as KSEB chairman and managing director on Monday simply for refusing to follow the government line.

Smart Meter Concerns

The union also raised alarms over the delay in issuing the work order for the second phase of the smart electricity meter roll-out in Keralam, pointing out that the bid validity expires on November 11. The KSEB had cleared the lowest-quoted bid for this project covering 50 lakh consumers under the CAPEX mode months ago. The EEFI suspects an active attempt to undermine this model, which allows residents to access cost-effective smart meter services.

Context

Public utilities and state electricity boards frequently manage large power purchase agreements and infrastructure roll-outs under strict regulatory oversight. Transparency in public fund allocation and procurement processes remains a central point of discussion in state governance across India.