PALAKKAD: Electricity Minister MM Mani on Saturday virtually put the Athirappilly hydel project on the backburner stating the government was still to arrive at a broad-based consensus.The government will not be able to implement the project owing to stiff opposition from various quarters, Mani said. He was speaking after inaugurating the new Vydyuthi Bhavan at Shoranur here on Saturday.
“There is opposition to the project from within the LDF itself and from the main opposition party Congress. Therefore there is little chance for a consensus. As there is no scope for largescale power projects, it is proposed to implement smallscale projects in the state, said Mani.
The Congress by abandoning the Pallivasal project, which was nearly 70 per cent complete, had committed a big blunder. It has now become difficult to implement thermal projects owing to resistance from various quarters. In this context, it is proposed to tap solar energy to the maximum. It is proposed to generate at least 600 MW of power from solar projects.
The minister said a new energy policy would be announced by the government. He said that in the case of power generation, political parties and organisations should shed the negative approach.
P K Sasi MLA presided over the meet. KSEB deputy chief engineer G Radhakrishnan presented the report. District panchayat president K Santhakumari, KSEB Ltd director Dr V Sivadasan, Ottappalam block panchayat president S Sivaraman and Shoranur municipality chairperson Vimala Teacher attended the meet. The Vydyuthi Bhavan was constructed at a cost of `4.25 crore having an area of 16,000 sq ft.