Pinarayi Vijayan alleges Kerala power crisis is linked to privatisation push
Kerala opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the State’s power crisis is being used to promote privatisation and benefit private companies. He attributed responsibility for the current situation to the UDF government and criticised delays over energy storage, while the supplied material contains no response from the government to his claims.
Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the State’s power crisis forms part of a political effort to transfer the electricity sector to private companies. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Kerala chapter of the Electricity Employees Federation of India, Vijayan said the country’s total generation capacity was almost twice its peak demand. He claimed that private monopolies nevertheless controlled 60 per cent of generation.
He alleged that crises were being engineered to allow private firms to charge excessive profits. In Kerala, he said, the government had received indications of a potential crisis in early June but deliberately delayed action. Vijayan also claimed that similar political tactics had been used during United Democratic Front administrations to weaken the Kerala State Electricity Board and present private companies as a solution.
He said privatisation would face resistance in Kerala, referring to opposition mounted during the previous Left Democratic Front government. He accused the Chief Minister and ministers of using a blame game to conceal incompetence and political interests. Vijayan said responsibility for the current crisis lay with the UDF because the government led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had failed to follow established norms, leading the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission to cancel a long-term power purchase agreement.
He alleged that construction of a battery energy storage project was progressing slowly while moves were being made to give companies including the Adani Group a foothold in the sector. He also linked proposals for a nuclear plant to central legislation opening the nuclear sector to private players. The seminar was presided over by former Power Minister A.K.
Balan. The source material reports Vijayan’s allegations but does not include a response from the State government or the companies named.
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