THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state's power shortage triggered a heated debate between the government and the Opposition in the Assembly on Wednesday, with both sides blaming each other for the crisis. The Opposition later staged a walkout after its demand to discuss the issue through an adjournment motion was rejected.
While the Opposition blamed the nearly five-month-old UDF government’s lack of foresight for the crisis, the government hit back, accusing the previous LDF regime of failing to augment power generation in line with rising demand and citing the cancellation of a long-term power purchase agreement at a low rate as a key factor behind the shortage.
Moving the adjournment motion, CPI leader G R Anil said power cuts, which he claimed had been absent in Keralam for 10 years under LDF rule, had returned after the UDF assumed office. He said the looming power crisis was evident in May and June, but the government failed to take timely measures to address it.
Alleging that the UDF government was attempting to procure power at an exorbitant rate of Rs 30 per unit, Anil said this could be part of a plan to weaken the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and pave the way for privatisation by opening up the sector to corporate groups such as Adani and Ambani.
Power Minister Sunny Joseph hit back, accusing the LDF of spreading the false narrative that there had been no power cuts during its tenure. He said the previous LDF government failed to take adequate measures even as power consumption in the state rose by 26% in 2025-26. “You increased generation by a mere 150 MW even as demand rose by 2,000 MW,” Sunny alleged.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan then joined the debate. Pinarayi claimed that the LDF government had added 2,092 MW of power during its tenure. When Satheesan questioned the figure, Pinarayi clarified that it included power generated through solar installations and fed into the grid.
The two leaders then sparred over the cancellation of a long-term power purchase agreement, signed during the Oommen Chandy government’s tenure, to procure electricity at Rs 4.29 per unit. The agreement was annulled during the LDF regime.
Pinarayi said the cancellation had been challenged in the Supreme Court and blamed the UDF for failing to fulfil the technical requirements when the agreement was initiated, leading to its annulment eight years later.
Satheesan countered that the agreement had been cancelled at the instance of LDF nominees in the State Electricity Regulatory Commission and representatives of Left-affiliated trade unions. “Why did you buy power at Rs 8 to Rs 14 per unit after cancelling the long-term agreement to procure electricity at Rs 4.29 per unit?” he asked. He called for an investigation into the LDF government's procurement of power from companies at higher rates.
Satheesan said the UDF government would soon announce a power policy outlining short- and long-term measures to address the shortage. The state aims to increase power generation by 6,000 MW to meet the projected demand of 11,000 MW by 2031, he said. He also asserted that the KSEB would be strengthened and retained in the public sector.
