LDF govt not mulling load shedding, power cuts: CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Despite Kerala facing a severe drought and a dip in about 350 crore units in power generation, the CPI(M) led LDF government was not mulling introducing load shedding and power cuts, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here Friday.

"This year the state is facing severe drought. The water availability in our dams is very less compared to previous years. Due to this there has been a dip of 350 crore units in power generation in the state," he said, speaking at an International conference on electrical safety here.

Though Kerala was facing severe constraints on the power front, the government's attempt was not to introduce power cuts and load shedding, but instead take efforts to reduce unnecessary consumption of electricity and create awareness on the need for judicious use of power, he said.

In the coming five years, solar plants with capacity upto 500 MW would be completed. Work on a 200 MW solar plant in Kasaragod would be completed this year, the Chief Minister said.

Vijayan said the government's aim was to ensure that all houses in the state have electricity by March 2017.