Controversial GNA Electricity Agreement Sparks Legal Questions in Kerala

Kerala’s ruling government faced fresh scrutiny on Saturday as opposition leader Pinaraij Vijan accused Chief Minister V.D. Satish of violating procedural norms in the signing of a power purchase agreement with Gujarat Narmada Authority.

Vijan asserted that the CM deliberately ignored the Kerala State Electricity Board’s findings and the State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s guidance, thereby creating “ambiguity to dodge investigation.” He pointed out that Satish had confirmed the decision was taken solely on the basis of a file placed before him, prompting doubts over why a previously cleared Himachal Pradesh electricity offer was set aside.

The opposition seeks clarity on the statutory or other grounds for accepting the GNA proposal, whether KSEB had alerted the state to potential massive financial losses, and if a detailed report from the chief engineer was ever prepared. Vijan also questioned why the entire dossier and any government correspondence were not disclosed publicly, and whether the regulator’s claim that high‑price purchases were unnecessary between 1 Nov 2026 and 31 Mar 2027 held true.

He warned that the one‑sided decision could impose an avoidable financial strain on KSEB and end‑users, and called for legal accountability should the regulator’s conclusions be found erroneous.