No deadline for Kerala State Electricity Board projects

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSEB Limited, while seeking a tariff revision on Tuesday, has tried to give the impression that the miserable state of its balance sheet was largely the conspiracy of the elements. This mask of victimhood conceals a major shortcoming of the public utility: its incapability to complete ‘low-friction’ small hydel projects on time.  The 60 MW Pallivasal augmentation project has been on for the last 13 years, and only 70 per cent has been complete. The 40 MW Thottiyar project has been on for 11 years, and only 60 per cent has been complete. The 3.5 MW Adyampara project took 10 years.

The 3 MW Kakkayam project has been on for seven years, and 32 per cent of the work remains to be completed. At least 13 small projects had overshot their deadline by 5 to 13 years. The irony is, KSEBL is aggressively pushing for large hydel projects like the one in Athirappilly. The delay has cost the utility dearly. The Pallivasal project began with an estimate of Rs 222.5 crore in 2007. As on October 31, 2016, Rs 245.91 crore has already been spent.

KSEBL itself estimates that it would require Rs 250 crore more to complete the project, a more than 100 per cent escalation. For Thottiyar project, KSEBL had already utilised Rs 62 crore. But the concessionaire, citing contractual violations, has abandoned the project. “It looks as if KSEBL is desperate to somehow delay projects,” said Mr N S Alexander, former deputy drugs controller who had criticized KSEBL for its delays at the tariff revision hearing. KSEBL director (finance) Mr N S Pillai said 90 per cent of the reasons for delay were beyond the control of KSEBL. “Works are awarded even before land availability is ascertained and forest clearances are secured,” he said.