Energy charges, protests, and consumers
In India, any hike in energy prices leads to a slew of protests, mostly by opposition political parties and mostly meant for the TV cameras. Yesterday, the Kerala state government announced a hike in energy prices across the board. The decision has met with opposition and the opposition political parties are conducting state-wide protests against the price hike. Now, Kerala requires 3400 MW of power daily, but power from hydel sources alone is just 1600 MW. There are no other major sources of power. Since Kerala faces the biggest opposition in India in the name of environmentalism against new power projects such as hydel projects and thermal plants, all new projects land in controversy. Announce a project and the courts will be flooded with Public Interest Litigations (PILs), and the newspapers will be filled with statements and lengthy op-eds. So, what exactly can the hapless people do in such a situation? The real solution depends very much on the immediate need for a change in m...