The Congress party on Monday accused the LDF government in Kerala of failing to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, alleging that consumers across the state are experiencing frequent, unannounced power disruptions despite official claims that there is no load-shedding.
The opposition’s criticism comes against the backdrop of the LDF’s earlier election promises that pledged a fully stable power supply system with no scheduled outages. Congress leaders say the current situation contradicts those assurances, particularly as electricity demand has surged during the peak summer months.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the government was avoiding the reality faced by consumers.
“While the electricity minister insists there is no load-shedding, people are experiencing daily power cuts. It would be better to admit that restrictions have been imposed due to shortage. There is no point in denying what consumers are clearly witnessing,” he said, adding that the government’s earlier claims on improved power infrastructure had been “exposed as false.”
Joseph also criticised the distinction being made between “load-shedding” and “restrictions,” calling it misleading. “For the public, a power cut is a power cut, whatever term is used,” he said.
Senior Congress leaders K. Muraleedharan and V. M. Sudheeran also targeted the government, accusing it of failing to manage the power situation effectively. Muraleedharan said the administration appeared to be backtracking on its commitments, while Sudheeran pointed to worsening conditions amid the ongoing heatwave.
“The situation has reached a point where people are struggling due to frequent, unannounced outages,” Sudheeran said, urging urgent intervention to stabilise supply and ensure adequate power procurement.
Responding to the criticism, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty attributed the pressure on the grid to a sharp increase in consumption, partly driven by reduced LPG availability due to the conflict in West Asia. He said many households had shifted to induction cooking, significantly raising electricity demand.
“The war must end and rain should arrive. That is the expectation,” the minister said, adding that even a single day of significant rainfall could provide relief to the system.
Krishnankutty maintained that there would be no load-shedding in the state. He said the government was supplementing supply through additional power purchases from outside Kerala, with regulatory approval already in place.
According to him, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has permitted the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to procure an additional 250 MW of power daily until May 15 to meet rising demand.
The minister also said it was too early to confirm any tariff revision, noting that efforts were underway to avoid an increase despite financial pressure on the utility.
Official data shows Kerala’s power consumption has risen sharply in recent weeks. On April 17, daily usage reached 116.11 million units, the highest this month, while peak demand touched an all-time high of 6,013 MW.
The government has expressed hope that a combination of additional power procurement and favourable weather conditions will help stabilise supply in the coming days.
(With inputs from PTI)