THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Various government offices have regularly defaulted payment of power bills, plunging the KSEB into deep crisis with the arrears amounting to a staggering Rs 2,013 crore. The KSEB has until 2025 to collect the arrears, failing which it stands to lose the Union Energy Ministry’s grant for the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) smart meter project.
Power Minister K Krishnankutty will take up the arrear issue with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the online meeting scheduled on Friday evening on the power crisis.
According to the Centre, there should be no arrears by 2025, by when the RDSS smart meter project will be implemented. In fact, the project document has a clause that by next year, the dues should not exceed the current year’s figure.
What makes the realisation of pending bills tough for KSEB is the fact that the Kerala Water Authority, the top defaulter, is reeling under huge financial loss and has not paid dues since 2018. A top KSEB official told TNIE that KWA owes the board a whopping Rs 1,680 crore.
“In 2018, the KWA paid KSEB Rs 1,300 crore. After that, they have not paid any arrears,” said the official. “Arrears of various PSUs amount to Rs 182 crore, while that of the Kerala Police come to Rs 151 crore. They have to pay only the principal amount. There is no interest,” the official said.
Interestingly, the KSEB itself owes the police department Rs 50 crore, the salary of the personnel deployed at various dams. The KSEB official said the amount will be adjusted in the arrears. Uncertainty on smart meters will also be taken up at the online meeting being held at 3:30 PM.