The indefinite stir by the KSEB Officers’ Association (KSEBOA) entered the second day on Tuesday even as a fresh row broke out between the Left officers’ association and the KSEB chairman and managing director (CMD) B. Ashok over the financial status of the State power utility.
The KSEBOA has demanded that the State government to initiate action against Mr. Ashok and the Director (Finance) for presenting exaggerated data regarding revenue in the KSEB budget. Mr. Ashok countered the charges with a statement of his own and claimed that the utility had showed a profit of ₹480.99 crore till December 2021.
The KSEBOA has accused the KSEB management of furnishing unrealistic figures regarding revenue for the 2022-23 fiscal in the Budget so as to create the impression that the utility was running on profit.
The Budget projects a profit of ₹496 crore in 2022-23, and a 12% increase in revenue from tariff, which does not stand to reason, according to the KSEBOA. These figures also vary from the data presented in the tariff proposals submitted before the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the KSEBOA alleged.
Mr. Ashok has termed the charges baseless. According to the KSEB CMD, the balance sheet for the 2022-22 first quarter showed a loss of ₹95.42 crore, second quarter a profit of ₹ 164.58 crore, and third quarter, a profit of ₹411.83 crore. The figures for the last quarter – January-March 2022 – are not out yet, but going by trends, the KSEB can expect an operational profit of around ₹ 600 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal as a whole, he said.
The KSEBOA launched the indefinite stir on Monday, protesting the suspension of its state president M.G. Suresh Kumar and B. Harikumar.
CMD to hold talks
Meanwhile, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty on Tuesday indicated that he will not be holding discussions with the KSEBOA, which launched an indefinite stir outside the Vydyuthi Bhavan on Monday.
The matter will instead be settled within the KSEB, Mr. Krishnankutty said after holding talks with the KSEB CMD. The CMD will hold the talks and settle the disputes, he said.
The State's power sector is going through a time when everyone needs to stand together. While the utility has shown an operating profit in 2021-22, the net loss stands at ₹14,000 crore, he said.
