Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has said domestic consumers will be permitted to pay electricity bill in instalments.
As part of COVID-19 welfare measures, the government decided to provide concession of 25% on the fixed charges applicable to high tension (HT) electricity consumers, he said.
Speaking at a meet-the-press programme here on Tuesday. Mr. Krishnankutty said Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) would extend the 25%-rebate being provided on fixed charges to industrial and commercial consumers.
Pointing out that the decision to permit bill payment in instalments would provide immense relief for those affected by the pandemic, the Minister cautioned against wilful defaults. Power would be disconnected for non-payment, he said.
The Electricity Minister said concessions would be provided for entrepreneurs involved in value addition in the farm sector. Kudumbashree units engaged in such activities would benefit.
Mr. Krishnankutty said the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which would be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament, would adversely affect the common man in the State. The government had stated its opposition against the proposed move to restrict cross-subsidy and de-licence power distribution to promote competition in the sector.
He expressed the optimism that the State government would be able to avail itself of an additional loan from the Centre without privatising the power distribution sector. The Centre had recently accepted the Fifteenth Finance Commission’s recommendation to permit States which undertook critical power sector reforms alone to borrow 0.5% of the Gross State Domestic Product. This was in excess of the additional borrowing room of 4% that was granted earlier.
The government has set its sights on electrifying 2,200 anganwadis and 69 tribal settlements in the State. Fifteen small-scale hydel projects that had long been delayed would also be completed in a time-bound manner, Mr. Krishnankutty said.
