Move to convert KSEB into company flayed

Staff Reporter
KOLLAM: M. Sukumara Pillai, State general secretary of the AITUC-affiliated Kerala Electricity Workers Federation, has said the move to convert the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) into a company will be a dangerous and unacceptable structural change.

He was inaugurating a district convention of the federation here on Wednesday. He said converting KSEB into a company would lead the power sector of the State into a confusing cross road. The power sector of the State came under social control in 1956 following which the generation, transmission and distribution came under government policies.

Profit motive
From 1990, profit motive started taking over the KSEB. But there was strong resistance to it in Kerala which in turn delayed the restructuring process. But pressure from the Centre could not be resisted for long.

Under the new system the company need not approach the government for anything. In other words, the KSEB would become independent of the government.

This would result in subsidies to farmers and concessions to consumers getting slashed in phases. There was no guarantee whether the social security benefits to even the employees would exist.

He wanted the State government to earn a verdict from the Central Electricity Appellate Tribunal on lines awarded to Chattisgarh by the tribunal. Federation president P.S. Pradeep presided. Federation secretary M.P. Gopakumar and CPI leaders Soni B. Thengamam also spoke.
The Hindu