Page 51 - Kerala calling OCTOBER 2020

When looking back to
that period one can easily
understand that such a
leadership at the helm of
affairs in the Electricity
ministry, laid the foundation
for the ‘rosy - future’, the
power sector of Kerala now
cherish with assurance.

topic of discussion in the 1996 electricity minister - Pinarayi Vijayan. assistance of R.E.C., which helped a
Assembly elections. For the then State lot to resolve the voltage – crisis.
Government that came to power, 1088 MW of power was added to During the tenure of Pinarayi Vijayan
the power sector became the focal the Kerala grid during 1996-2001.
sector to be intervened. The present This is still the biggest achievement as the minister of power, there were
many interventions in the field of
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was during any government’s tenure. energy conservation, including
the Minister in charge for the Power When Pinarayi Vijayan took over as the establishment of the Energy
department in the1996 Kerala State the Minister of Power, the KSEB was
Government. When looking back to in a state of disarray in the power Management Center and the Hydel
Tourism Center to develop tourism
that period one can easily understand distribution and transmission sectors activities in the project areas.
that such a leadership at the helm of as well.
affairs in the Electricity ministry, laid Every Tuesday, review meetings were Every initiative that is being identified
the foundation for the ‘rosy - future’, held under the chairmanship of the as part of the Kerala model in the
the power sector of Kerala now minister with the participation of
cherish with assurance. the board members and the power power sector was actually initiated by
the State Government from 1996-
At that time, the only power surplus secretary. All these reviews had 2001. It was on this basis that in 2007,
area in the country was the eastern played a major role in enhancing the Kerala started the process of total
region, including the state of West efficiency of KSEB. electrification. Although Kerala has
Bengal. It was practically impossible Despite the increase in the number not been able to become self-sufficient
to bring electricity from there to of consumers and consumption of in electricity, it has been able to
Kerala directly. However, a plan had electricity with the addition of new supply power without load shedding
been drawn up to overcome these connections, the condition of Kerala’s or power cuts for the last four years.
limitations by transferring power power network was deplorable. The inspirational leadership of the
from Bengal to Kerala through the The voltage shortage was severe Minister for electricity, M. M.Mani
states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh in the northern districts of Kerala. once again comes handy in the
and Tamil Nadu on a displacement Then, the Government has made a noteworthy development in the
basis. Thus, Kerala was able to avoid huge intervention to upgrade and power sector, which continue to
power cuts by November 1996 and strengthen the power transmission initiate novel projects sans delay. But
load shedding by early 1997. These and distribution lines. It was also one cannot forget the man behind
steps became a reality, thanks to the during this time that the sub - these achievements and incidentally,
visionary-mode intervention from the transmission network of 33 KV lines the same individual is leading the
was introduced with the financial State with the same robustness.
prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling/OCTOBER 2020 51 KERALA CALLING