Kochi: In an ironic turn of events, Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman B Ashok, who is having a running battle with the Left trade unions over various issues concerning the power utility firm, has disowned publicly the same project which he led from the front as the State Power Secretary and Electricity Board Chairman.
In his latest Facebook post, he criticised the Rs100 crore rooftop solar power project installed by the KSEB in a private firm. He termed the decision to give 10 per cent relaxation for a period of 25 years for the project as a deficiency of the 'core business'.
But it is pointed out that the Union Non-Conventional Energy Resources Ministry had appreciated the project under the Urja Kerala Mission implemented by the previous Pinarayi Vijayan ministry, and even suggested it as model to the other states for implementation.
The project was given clearance by the full board of the KSEB consisting of nine members. Though the present KSEB Chairman was not a party to this decision, the implementation of the project was undertaken when he was the State Power Secretary. Later, as the KSEB Chairman, he attended the inaugural function of the project along with the minister.
There are three models related to the project designed with the aim of generating 200 mega watts of electricity from solar energy. The fund for generating 28 MW of electricity was only allocated as per the first model in which a plant was erected on the rooftop of a private party's building. This is the Rs 100 crore which the Chairman referred to in his Facebook post.
Former nodal officer of the project and former Deputy Chief Engineer A Nasarudheen countered the KSEB Chairman by asking how could it be construed as "deficiency in the core business" when the project has a production cost of only Rs 3 per unit and no transmission loss.
Firms such as Tata Solar Power, INKEL and Waaree got the orders through tender. The rate for one megawatt of power was fixed at an average rate of Rs 4.5 crore as per the agreement.
