THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government will consider raising the retirement age in the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed said on Wednesday. Speaking at the 23rd conference of the Kerala Power Board Officers’ Federation here, he said:
“The government and the KSEB will consider enhancing the retirement age, but don’t expect it to be made 60,” the minister said. The present retirement age in the KSEB, which is now a company, is 56. Speakers at the conference had pointed out that retirement age in power utilities of several states was 58, and in some cases for certain categories of employees, 60. The minister justified the recent tariff revision pointing out that the revenue gap of the KSEB was widening every year. The state has to find a way to implement hydro-electric power projects by reducing the impact on the environment, he said.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who inaugurated the conference, said that the government laid great stress on increasing the state’s power generation capability.
“The Power Department has drawn up plans. The Planning Board’s full support will be there for the initiative,” Chandy said. The availability of electricity posed a problem for the state today. Power generation in the state has not kept pace with the massive increase in consumption, he noted. “Our focus has always been on hydel power, which is cheap. We were captivated by the concept of cheap power,” he said.
Kerala Power Board Officers Federation president Joseph Vazhackan MLA presided over the function. KSEB Director (Generation) K K Karappankutty, federation general secretary R Chandrachoodan Nair also spoke.