Power players surge to Delhi to discuss sector reform

On the heels of the UPAs Budget formation,state power ministers will meet with Union power minister...

On the heels of the UPAs Budget formation,state power ministers will meet with Union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde tomorrow to pitch for their piece of the fiscal pie in 2009-2010. In return,Shinde is expected to make modest efforts to coax states to prioritise reforms in the sector.

Lobbying for consistency and a firm foundation for power,as demand continues to rise nationwide,the contingent of some 200 delegates including power ministers,secretaries and representatives of Central and state power utilities will deliberate on power capacity,distribution and transmission dilemmas pertaining to their respective regions. The ministers of power from all states are coming forth with their demands,complaints and grievances, said Daljeet Chowdhry,private secretary to coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal who will also be in attendance at tomorrows meeting. Besides Jaiswal,new and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah,petroleum minister Murli Deora,Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh are scheduled to speak during the day-long conference.

The first half of the meeting will cover generation and open access,according to a release issued by the ministry. The ministers are also expected to discuss the progress of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana in the second half of the days agenda. With the goal of adding some 78,700 MW capacity to ensure power for all by 2012,Shinde is now faced with the challenge of prioritising projects around the country and procuring funds to meet the lofty goal.

The 78,700-MW benchmark is set in the Eleventh Plan. The agenda is set to include a progress report on the Plan for strengthening Indias sub-transmission and distribution systems through the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) and the rural electrification policy. Funds for the APDRP formerly known as the Accelerated Power Development Programme have been distributed to state governments as Central Plan Assistance since 2000. The funds were to be used for building connectivity from electricity providers to consumers. In the process of distribution,large quantities of power are pilfered and lost through transmission. The APDRPs funds are used to reduce that loss in urban areas.

Those interested in reaping the financial benefit of the Rs 51,577-crore programme will have to prove the integrity of power producers in their towns and cities,which are required to have a population of more than 30,000. On January 3 last year,the Centre provided an additional Rs 28,000 crore for a project geared at providing electricity to all households by this year.