KSEB may recover some lost ground
P. Venugopal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) expects to finish the current financial year with a revenue deficit of Rs.1,441.24 crore, according to the latest estimates it has done. This assessment is contained in the KSEB’s statement on revenue requirement filed before the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) on Saturday.

The KSEB’s accounts had received a real dent during 2008-09 so far because of the poor monsoons and severe reduction in the flow of electricity from the coal and lignite-based stations of the Central power utilities outside the State.

The gap between the consumers’ demand and availability of power from cheaper sources is being bridged through purchase of power from expensive liquid fuel stations.

The KSEB had begun the current financial year with its accounts showing a gap of only Rs.91.29 crore from previous year’s operations. It is from this position that the accounts are poised to present a gap of Rs.1,441.24 crore at the end of March 2009.

If the existing restrictions in power supply to the consumers and the thermal surcharge were to continue for the whole of 2009-10 also, the KSEB expects to reduce the revenue gap to Rs.1,099.28 crore at the end of March 2010.

This is, however, under the presumption that next year’s monsoons would be normal. Also, under the presumption that the flow of electricity from the coal and lignite-based stations of Central power utilities would improve to normal levels.

Power purchase
The total amount the KSEB had spent on power purchase (from Central stations and private sector stations) in 2007-08 came to Rs.2,101.07 crore.

This financial year (2008-09), this is set to reach the level of Rs.3,498.99 crore (because of the failure of the monsoons and the shortfall in supply of power from Central thermal power stations), according to the KSEB’s statement of accounts.