Alappuzha/Kannur: Four days short of the Kerala Assembly election, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has raised a fresh allegation against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. The Congress leader said that the government-run power utility in the state agreed to buy electricity from corporate major Adani group at a higher price for 25 years.
He said that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has signed a contract with the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), a central public sector undertaking, in June and September of 2019. The deal, made under a renewal power obligation that aims to increase consumption of non-conventional energy, would force the KSEB to buy 300 megawatts of electricity from the Adani group at Rs 2.82 per unit, he said, adding that solar energy was available for Rs 2 per unit.
Then why a pact was signed with the private group to buy power at the rate of Rs 2.82 per unit, Chennithala asked.
He alleged that the Left government had colluded with the BJP government at the Centre for the "corrupt deal".
The deal with the SECI also makes it obligatory for the KSEB to buy at least 5 per cent electricity under the renewal purchase obligation. The contract is for wind energy. Chennithala said that a 25-year contract for electricity purchase was unheard of.
He alleged that the Rs 8,850 crore deal allows the Adani group to pocket a profit of more than Rs 1,000 crore.
"The common man has to pay Rs one extra for each unit for 25 years. This will help Adani reap a profit of Rs 1,000 crore," he told reporters in Alappuzha.
"Through the contract, a huge burden is imposed on people. Both the state and union governments are equally responsible for the deal," Chennithala said. He asked the government to cancel the contract immediately.
The renewal purchase obligation includes wind, wave and solar energy as well as electricity produced from hydel projects below 25 megawatts. Kerala has many such hydel projects which supply electricity at a price below Re 1 per unit. Solar energy was priced at Rs 2 per unit on average and the price was only going down globally, Chennithala said.
He said that the LDF government was allowing Adani to snitch from the people of Kerala for the next 25 years. He added that the LDF was cooperating with the BJP-led government at the centre. He said that the central and state government were working in tandem to sign a contract that allows Adani to make a profit.
Since the contract is for 25 years, the high price will be applicable throughout the tenure of the contract, he said, pointing out that long-term contracts were not in favour across the globe.
Chennithala also said that the government was helping the Adani group covertly even as it protested the privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
CM Pinarayi rejects allegations
Rejecting the charges, Keral Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, told reporters in Kannur that Chennithala was "jealous" of the five years under the LDF government when there had been no load- shedding.
"That's why he is now trying to tarnish the deals of the state Electricity Board," the Chief Minister added.
All the contracts signed by the KSEB are there on its website, anyone can check it, he added.
