THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to withdraw its legal challenge and directly address complaints from cable operators regarding higher electricity charges, following mounting pressure from contempt of court proceedings.
The decision, taken at a Full Time Directors’ meeting a few days ago marks a significant reversal in KSEB’s approach to a dispute over differential electricity tariffs for cable operators providing internet services.
The decision offers hope to cable operators who have been fighting higher charges since 2021. They can now expect fresh billing orders aligned with the 2021 government order and potential refunds for excess charges collected during the dispute.
Multiple registered cable TV operators filed writ petitions challenging KSEB’s practice of charging higher electricity rates when they provide internet services through their cables, despite a 2021 government order mandating reduced charges for such operators.
The operators argued they were being unfairly penalised for diversifying into internet services, with KSEB treating them differently from pure cable TV operations despite using the same infrastructure.
Court order
The Kerala High Court, hearing the petitions together, disposed of them on two weeks ago, directing KSEB’s Secretary to conduct hearings and issue fresh billing orders strictly in accordance with Government Order No.14/2021/POWER dated July 8, 2021.
Rather than complying immediately, KSEB initially decided to challenge the judgment by filing a writ appeal in August 2024.
However, this strategy backfired when affected cable operators filed contempt of court cases (CoC 147/2025 and 167/2025) alleging non-compliance with the High Court’s judgment.
The turning point came when KSEB’s own legal advisors recommended abandoning the appeal. The Standing Counsel delivered a blunt assessment: filing an appeal would not yield a positive outcome and would only prolong the issue unnecessarily.
Legal advisors noted that the court’s direction actually granted KSEB discretion to make appropriate decisions after conducting proper hearings, making the appeal strategy counterproductive.
Contempt pressure
The matter became urgent when contempt cases came up before the High Court on June 8, 2025. Facing potential contempt proceedings, KSEB’s leadership recognized the need for immediate compliance.
The Full Time Directors resolved to withdraw the appeal strategy and entrust the Secretary (Administration) to hear and dispose of petitions as per the High Court’s judgment.
