KOCHI: In a bid to widen its revenue‐recovery drive, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEBL) has decided to include Cable TV operators’ pole‐rental arrears under its ongoing One-Time Settlement (OTS-2025) scheme.
The move was approved by the Board of Directors on May 28, 2025, bringing cable‐rental dues into the same reduced-interest framework previously limited to electricity‐charge arrears over two years old.
Under OTS-2025, consumers with arrears of two to five years pay 6 per cent interest, those with five to ten years pay 4 per cent, and dues over ten years attract no interest. Cable operators will now qualify for these rates, matching the terms extended to electricity charge defaulters.
KSEBL first applied a similar concession to cable‐rental arrears under its OTS-2019 scheme, with interest rates of 8.31 per cent for two-to-five-year arrears and 6 per cent for older dues. The new policy signals the Board’s commitment to streamline collections across all poles-mounted infrastructure users while maintaining parity.
Implementation will be handled at the Electrical Division level, where operators must submit OTS applications for forwarding to the respective Electrical Circle. Deputy Chief Engineers in each circle are charged with settling these cases without limit and reviewing progress in weekly meetings, escalating oversight to the Chief Engineer and State Core Group.
KSEBL officials expect this extension to unlock significant additional funds, noting that pole-rental arrears have historically been excluded despite their growing share of overall dues.
By aligning cable operators with OTS-2025’s concessional terms and a dedicated nodal process, the utility aims to accelerate recoveries and improve cash flows ahead of the next tariff cycle.
