"Commitment to the land": CM Pinarayi Vijayan on overcoming Kerala's power crisis

PALLIVASAL (IDUKKI): Asserting that governance is defined by its priorities, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that a clear distinction exists between those committed to the people and those beholden to corporate interests. Speaking at the inauguration of the golden jubilee celebrations for the Pallivasal expansion and the Idukki hydroelectric project, the Chief Minister emphasised that the character of a government is revealed through its dedication to the land and its citizens.

“If there is a genuine commitment to the land, extreme poverty will inevitably disappear. The Idamon-Kochi Power Highway, a critical high-voltage transmission line, stands as a testament to our government's dedication—not to those who obstruct progress, but to the people of this state.
For years, this project sat stalled. The Power Grid Corporation, exhausted by repeated and futile requests for the previous administration to intervene, eventually abandoned Kerala altogether. The obstacle was a powerful, entrenched force. However, when the LDF government assumed office in 2016, we didn't just wait; we proactively recalled the Power Grid Corporation and asked them to restart the work.
The same forces that had blocked the project returned, failing to realize they were dealing with a new kind of governance. We appealed to them in the name of the land’s needs, but those who had previously driven away a national corporation refused to listen. This time, the government moved forward with unwavering resolve. We completed the project without bowing to obstruction. Today, electricity flows smoothly through that line.
The struggle for power in Kerala has been long. Thirty years ago, the state suffered through 4.5 hours of daily load shedding, and power cuts reached a staggering 95%. In those days, people literally had to use a torch to check if their light bulbs were even on.
When I served as the Electricity Minister in the Nayanar Ministry in 1996, I made it my mission to change that reality. We first eliminated power cuts and then load shedding entirely. Unfortunately, that progress faltered in later years due to a lack of governmental continuity.
The journey toward complete electrification tells a similar story. The LDF government launched this mission in 2006, yet progress was stalled when the UDF government took power in 2011. It was only after the LDF returned in 2016 that the mission was finally brought to completion. This history proves that for Kerala to thrive, we need more than just projects—we need the political will to see them through to the end,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.