Electricity Board: A headache for all

For ordinary Malayalis and even those who are financially well-off, the biggest fear today is the ever-rising electricity tariff that keeps climbing without any control. Every time the bill arrives, people are left wondering, “What is this?” No matter how much they calculate, they can’t figure out how the charges are so high. The language used in the bill is so complicated that even a multilingual scholar finds it difficult to understand. Electricity lines are not just silent killers causing shocks but also deadly villains — something we are constantly reminded of by the increasing electrocution deaths in the state. Recently, three people died in a single day after coming into contact with live wires. Similar accidents have been making headlines on other days too. Reports say nearly 250 such deaths occur in a year.

Amid all this, Kerala Kaumudi reported shocking news: Kerala refused to accept Rs 10,475 crore allocated by the central government for overall power safety, including ensuring the safety of power lines. The central government had stipulated that the smart meter project must be completed by 2026 in order to release the allocated funds. Kerala, however, rejected this condition and turned down the central government’s offer outright. This amount was part of Rs 3.03 lakh crore earmarked for all states to improve power distribution and transmission. Despite this refusal, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proudly made tall claims — computer-controlled power supply in five towns, 227 transformers, over 7,000 km of insulated cables, earthing for 4.5 lakh poles… and many more “big dreams”! But in reality, nothing materialised beyond words.

If Kerala couldn’t fund these improvements on its own, shouldn’t it have accepted the central plan that wouldn’t burden consumers? Kerala refused the smart meter scheme but claimed it would roll out its own version. However, even that plan is stuck at the tender stage, making it clear it won’t be finished by 2026. If the deadline is missed, Kerala will permanently lose the central funding.

Meanwhile, KSEB keeps passing every extra burden — including employee salary hikes — onto electricity consumers. Since electricity is essential, Malayalis are forced to endure all this “shock” silently. If these unfair practices at least helped the “white elephant” survive, there might be some consolation — but even that doesn’t happen. Month after month, the losses only climb, without a single unit decreasing. People who sought refuge from KSEB’s grip by installing rooftop solar panels are now being trapped in fresh tactics by the board. For consumers worn down by this misery, if someone feels that dying from an electric shock might be better than living with these troubles, who can really blame them? Sometimes, darkness itself feels like a relief.