Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 19 Keralam Electricity Minister Sunny Jospeh on Monday said that the state was procuring power at higher rates because the previous government scrapped a long-term agreement under which electricity was available at a much lower price.
Joseph, at a press conference here, said that currently the state was purchasing power at the rate of Rs 14.5 per unit, whereas it would have been available at the price of Rs 4.29 under the long-term agreement.
He said that the power was being procured from the Himachal Pradesh government, leaving no scope for any corruption.
“It is a government-to-government transaction without the involvement of any private parties,” the minister said.
Joseph said that the opposition had nothing to say against it in the Assembly.
The minister also alleged that the current power crisis in the state was caused by the actions of the previous administration and that people are aware of that.
He also said that no decision was taken with regard to the tariff hike in the state.
He further said that as the environment minister, he had moved a resolution in the House requesting the Centre to accept the state’s revised proposal exempting an area of 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 revenue villages from the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
He said that the resolution was passed by the House and the opposition had nothing to say against it in the assembly.
“But, subsequently, protests were held by the opposition in Idukki and Pathanamthitta, despite having nothing negative to say about the government on the ESA situation,” the minister said.
(PTI News)
