'KSEB officials know when to end speech'; Power goes out midway during electricity minister's speech in Kochi

KOCHI: In a quirky onstage moment, power went out midway during Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph's speech at an event in Ernakulam on Friday. The incident took place during the inaugural ceremony of the KSEB Officers' Federation's 18th state conference. Although the Minister paused his speech and remained on stage for a while, the power could not be restored; consequently, he declared the inauguration complete and left the venue.

During his speech, the Minister mentioned that senior Congress leader A.K. Antony had warned him that taking charge of the Electricity Department was akin to wearing a "crown of thorns." The power cut occurred immediately after he explained that he was striving to transform that "crown of thorns" into a "crown of flowers." Responding humorously to questions from journalists after the incident, Minister Sunny Joseph remarked sardonically that KSEB officials knew exactly when he should stop speaking.

Meanwhile, the Minister clarified that the crisis would be resolved and the power sector would not be privatised. He criticised the previous government for failing to intervene even after the Regulatory Commission cancelled a contract that could have secured power at ₹4.29 per unit. Minister Sunny Joseph expressed appreciation to the former Power Minister for admitting the error.