Kerala gets Delhi’s excess power, not TN
Kerala will continue to get power from the Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power station at Jhajjar in Haryana up to May 2013, but at a reduced volume.
Jhajjar power had originally come as a windfall to Kerala after Delhi forfeited its share in October.
The original allocation period had ended on November 30, but as per a new decision of the Union Power Ministry, Kerala will get 50 MW till May 31.
Both Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had scored from an earlier decision by Delhi to surrender 231.17 MW from Jhajjar.
Kerala had been getting 100 MW as part of the daily allocation from the central pool and Andhra Pradesh had been receiving 131.17 MW.
Tamil Nadu had also requested for 1,000 MW from the central pool to tide over its present power crisis, but the issue is yet to be resolved.
“Since the 50 MW is a Ministry of Power allocation, we won’t face problems in transmission of the power to Kerala,” said Gayatri Nair, chief engineer, KSEB (commercial and tariff).
Currently, Kerala gets around 1,200 MW daily by way of Central allocation.
With disappointing monsoons, the KSEB has been banking on the Central share and power purchases to meet daily demand.
On December 10, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission will hear the public’s opinion on a KSEB request for compulsory power restrictions.
The KSEB argues that a fuel surcharge of Rs 2 per unit will have to be collected from consumers from July 2013 onwards if power supply is not restricted urgently.