Thiruvananthapuram: Nearly 60% of the total expenditure of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is related to power purchases, electricity minister Sunny Joseph informed the assembly on Tuesday. KSEB was assessing the state’s electricity demand and the availability of power in the market in advance to minimise procurement costs, he said.The minister said the state govt had taken over Rs 767.71 crore, representing 75% of the KSEB’s loss of Rs 1,023.61 crore for 2022-23, and Rs 494.289 crore, representing 90% of its loss of Rs 549.21 crore for 2024-25, under the Centre’s additional borrowing scheme. The board was also taking steps to recover outstanding dues and reduce administrative expenditure, he added.KSEB was preparing its next five-year distribution-sector plan, for the period from 2027-28 to 2031-32, as the current scheme covers 2022-23 to 2026-27. The minister acknowledged that domestic electricity generation in the state had increased only marginally over the past decade.As part of efforts to modernise the distribution network, the board had been replacing ageing transformers and power lines, installing aerial and underground cables, and relocating lines crossing private properties where they posed risks of power disruptions or accidents.The measures were aimed at improving the reliability of electricity supply and reducing interruptions, he said.
