News Detail

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">For the power sector, the 2014-15 budget presented by Finance Minister K M Mani was more or less a windfall when compared to the 2013-14 experience. This time, Mani has set apart a juicy INR 1,370.04 crore for the sector. Last year, the total allocation for power had stood at a measly INR 46.58 crore.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Of this, INR 317 crore has been earmarked for streamlining electricity distribution activities of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The next big allocation is for transmission works of the KSEB. INR 240 crore has been earmarked for establishing 22 new sub-stations during 2014-15.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Finance Minister has set apart INR 215.26 crore for hydro-electric power projects of the KSEB. Additionally, KSEB&rsquo;s diesel power plants at Brahmapuram and Kozhikode have been allocated INR 2 crore and INR 3 crore respectively.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT), which is in charge of the &lsquo;10,000 Solar Homes Project&rsquo; has got INR 42.80 crore. The 2013-14 budget promises INR 10 crore for solar power projects, INR 5 crore for wind energy and INR 2 crore for LNG-based initiatives.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Solar power capacity is expected to be built up to 60 MW and wind power up to 100 MW, according to the budget presentation.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Energy Management Centre (EMC), the nodal agency for energy conservation initiatives in the state, has been earmarked INR 7.18 crore for various activities in addition to INR 2.20 crore for its small hydro-electric project (SHEP) scheme. The budget has also earmarked INR 32 crore for World Bank-assisted dam safety and rehab works. Other allocations include INR 10 crore as state&rsquo;s share for the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyuthikaran Yojana and INR 7 crore for promoting innovative project, which was a KSEB proposal.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>