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Electricity Minister Sri. AK Balan said the State was in for a power crisis due to the shortfall in power generation. If the people did not reduce consumption of power, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission would be forced to hike the power tariff again, he said. The Minister said the State was not getting its due share of power from the Central pool.

The Minister said the present water storage in all the dams could generate 2,381 million units of power. If the State received the north-east monsoon in full, another 1,000 to 1,200 million units could be added. Even then, during the summer months from March to May, the State would face shortage of 1,800 million units. If the State was forced to buy this huge quantity of power at a rate of Rs.10 to 12 a unit, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) would have to spend Rs.1,250 crore. So the people should reduce consumption or face the power tariff hike, the Minister said.

He said the proposed hike in power tariff for high end consumers would fetch the Kerala State Electricity Board only Rs.136 crore. He said Palakkad district would become the first ‘total electrified’ district in the country by January 2010.

The total electrification works were completed in the Assembly constituencies of Alathur, Kollengode, Palakkad, Malampuzha and Pattambi. In the remaining Thrithala, Chittur, Sreekrishnapuram and Mannarkkad constituencies, the work would be completed by January next, the Minister said.