'Is this called Indira Cut?'; V Sivankutty mocks govt over power restrictions imposed in state

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former minister V. Sivankutty and former Thiruvananthapuram mayor V. K. Prasanth have criticised the government over the power restrictions being imposed in Kerala for the past few days.

Sivankutty shared a poster on social media asking, “Is this called an 'Indira Cut'?” Meanwhile, V. K. Prasanth took a sarcastic dig at the situation, saying, “The Indira Cut is becoming a little too much. It happened twice today.”

The state witnessed multiple power cuts on Saturday night after electricity availability fell below expectations. The restrictions started after 7.15 pm, and in many areas, power supply was interrupted for more than half an hour.

Initially, Kerala faced a shortage of 300 megawatts of power, which later increased to 700 megawatts. The KSEB had earlier announced that power restrictions of 15 to 30 minutes would be imposed during peak hours until June 30. However, several areas are now experiencing power cuts lasting more than 30 minutes multiple times a day.

Officials have warned that the situation could worsen if rainfall does not increase. The state electricity regulator is expected to make a decision this week on KSEB’s request to purchase power at higher rates through short-term agreements.

KSEB has said that Kerala may face a power shortage until December. The board is also trying to sign electricity agreements with various states, including West Bengal. Efforts are underway to bring around 300 megawatts of power from West Bengal to Kerala.