'People did not elect this government to blindly sign every file placed before it, we will not take any anti-people decisions'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan has rejected Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan's allegations of irregularities in the state's power purchase decisions, saying they are baseless and that the government had acted in the state's interest. In a detailed Facebook post, Satheesan denied Pinarayi's claim that Himachal Pradesh had reduced its offer to supply electricity to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) from Rs 14.50 to Rs 12.50 per unit. He said Himachal Pradesh authorities had never given KSEB any confirmed assurance to supply power at Rs 12.50 per unit.

Citing a note submitted by the former KSEB chairman on October 29, 2026, the Chief Minister said the proposed rate of Rs 12.50 per unit could not be treated as confirmed unless it was formally accepted in writing by the competent Himachal Pradesh authority. He also questioned how Vijayan obtained a proposal that KSEB itself claimed it had not received.

Satheesan further pointed out that Himachal Pradesh had already entered into an agreement with the Rajasthan power board to supply electricity at Rs 15.50 per unit. He questioned how the state could offer electricity to Kerala at the much lower rate of Rs 12.50 per unit.

Rejecting the allegation that the government had unnecessarily created a power crisis, Satheesan said Kerala had faced a power shortage due to deficient rainfall, limited hydropower availability and other factors. KSEB had conducted six competitive tenders through the Union Ministry of Power's DEEP portal but failed to secure the required quantity of electricity, he said.

He added that KSEB had approached the government seeking an urgent decision on available power purchase agreements to avoid prolonged power cuts, particularly during the summer months. The state had also faced the prospect of power cuts in September and had managed to overcome the crisis in October by purchasing electricity from other states and public sector institutions.

Explaining the decision to opt for the Green Energy Network (GNA) agreement over the Himachal Pradesh proposal, Satheesan said the government had considered electricity availability during non-solar and peak hours, when demand in Kerala is highest. According to the KSEB chairman's note, GNA could provide 385 million units more electricity during non-solar hours than the Himachal Pradesh agreement.

He also said the average electricity supply from Himachal Pradesh during peak hours, from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm, would be considerably lower than the 500 MW offered by GNA during December, January, February and March. The Himachal proposal was also above the Rs 10 per unit tariff ceiling fixed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission, which could have imposed an additional financial burden on the state.

Responding to allegations that he had interfered in the files without the Electricity Minister's involvement, Satheesan said the file had been forwarded to him by the Electricity Minister for a decision. He maintained that examining the financial implications and taking an appropriate decision were part of his responsibility as Chief Minister.

"People did not elect this government to blindly sign every file placed before it by officials. That is not our style," he said.

Taking a dig at the previous LDF government, Satheesan recalled that the long-term power purchase agreement secured by the UDF government at Rs 4.29 per unit for 25 years had been cancelled after eight years. He alleged that the subsequent government had supported power purchases from private agencies at rates ranging from Rs 8 to Rs 14 per unit.

"Unlike the decisions taken by you, this government will not take any anti-people decision or impose an additional financial burden on the public," he said.