“Not time to criticise UDF govt over Keralam power crisis”: Union Minister Suresh Gopi

Kochi (Keralam) [India], September 19 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP leader Suresh Gopi on Saturday said that it was not the time to criticise the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Keralam over the ongoing power crisis in the state, adding that all previous governments shared responsibility.
Addressing the media, Gopi said he had no intention of targeting the state government over the issue and emphasised that the current situation required a collective approach.
“There is a power crisis in the state. I have no intention to criticise the state government. All previous governments share responsibility. It is not the time to criticise the UDF government,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Keralam Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said that the state government would seriously examine the feasibility of floating solar projects and pump storage facilities as part of a multi-pronged strategy to meet the state’s long-term power requirements.
“Kerala has a power crisis which can only be addressed with innovative projects that are feasible to the state’s unique geographical and climate conditions,” Joseph said.
The minister said the state faces structural and operational constraints in implementing large-scale conventional solar and wind power projects due to its geographical features and the impact of climate change.
He added that Keralam needs to explore floating solar projects, pump storage facilities and community-level battery storage systems with the support of Local Self-Government bodies.
Joseph was addressing a roundtable on “Renewable Energy Sources” on the closing day of Reimagining Keralam, a three-day event, featuring a series of Round Table Conferences (RTCs) on the state government’s flagship development projects.
MR Narayanan, who pioneered India’s concrete-based floating solar projects on the Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad, said Keralam has significant potential in floating solar energy and could generate 2,000 megawatts of power through such facilities.
“The Government should formulate a single-window clearance approach for the timely implementation of such energy projects,” he said. (ANI)