Power dept clears KSEB takeover of Maniyar project

T'puram: Overruling the interest of industries department, power department finally gave clearance to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to take over Maniyar hydroelectric power project. Carborundum Universal set up the 12MW small hydel project on BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) basis in the early 1990s.The 30-year validity of the agreement was extended once in view of the floods in 2018 and the extended validity expired in 2024. The company was supposed to transfer the utility to KSEB by Dec 2024.But industries department raised objections against KSEB taking over the project, leading to a difference of opinion between industries minister P Rajeeve and power minister K Krishnankutty. Senior Congress functionary Ramesh Chennithala had also raised corruption allegations over the industries department's move to give more extension to the private firm running the 12MW Maniyar power project."I am directed to invite your attention to the reference cited and to request that urgent necessary steps be taken to assume control of the Maniyar Small Hydroelectric Power Project (12MW) from Carborundum Universal under intimation to the govt," said the govt order to KSEB CMD that was undersigned by additional chief secretary (power) K Manoj Kumar.Industries department supported the private firm's demand for agreement extension on the ground that denial of such an extension would badly affect the industrial environment in Kerala. However, KSEB held the view that extending the BOOT agreement would further trigger similar requests and that this would not only derail the objective of the BOOT project but would also invite legal troubles.