HT, EHT consumers slam KSEB plea for more manpower

‘22.8% rise in manpower in 9 years detrimental to consumers, board’

The high tension (HT) and extra-high tension (EHT) power consumers have strongly objected to Kerala State Electricity Board’s request to the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission to increase the allowable manpower strength from 27,175 in 2008-09 to 33,371 as of 2017-18. This represents a 22.8% rise in manpower over the last nine years, said Nandkumar Nair, vice-president of HT and EHT Industrial Electricity Consumers’ Association.Objections by the industrial consumers were raised at a recent hearing convened by the electricity regulatory commission after the KSEB petitioned it on December 6, 2021. The HT and EHT consumers account for around 27% of the energy supplied by the Kerala power utility and contribute about 34% to the revenue.