Thiruvananthapuram: The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) has rejected an affidavit from the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission seeking more time to recover past losses of ₹6,645.30 crore incurred by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

The tribunal said a recovery plan to meet the Supreme Court’s directive, which requires the amount to be collected before March 30, 2028, must be submitted by September 26. Otherwise, the commission’s secretary will be summoned, it warned.

In light of the tribunal’s tough stance, the commission may be forced to raise tariffs unless the Supreme Court grants additional time.

The Supreme Court has ordered India’s power distribution companies to recover unrecoverable losses, regulatory assets totalling ₹1.6 lakh crore, within two and a half years. APTEL, tasked with overseeing compliance, asked state commissions to report steps being taken. Kerala’s commission, in its affidavit, said it would seek clarification from the Supreme Court and requested an extension until 2031.

The Centre had earlier allowed seven years for recovery, but the Supreme Court ruling in 2024 reduced the period to four years, leaving just two and a half years to comply. The Kerala commission has said it will approach the court within this timeframe.

The tribunal, however, criticised the commission for failing to clearly state when or how it would petition the Supreme Court, noting that regardless of its appeal, the existing verdict must be enforced. It directed the commission to issue guidelines immediately and to submit an audit report on how KSEB operated without offsetting the losses.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission has already moved the Supreme Court, seeking clarification and requesting seven years for recovery.