Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

N K Singh
Posted: 2007-06-17 00:00:00+05:30 IST
Updated: Oct 27, 2007 at 0416 hrs IST

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: a period of high economic growth. Even though the prime minister participated in the G-8 Summit, it is a pity that issues of renewable energy were not raised at the power conference. This is despite the fact that climate control is a dominant concern of the G-8. Issues of renewable energy and climate change are important enough to deserve a separate meeting of policy interloculators. There are many more issues like inter se fuel prices and improved demand management through calibration of availability-based tariff, which deserve further consideration.

Finally, a standing group of power ministers under the chairmanship of the union power minister is to meet every quarter. This would be useful in monitoring project implementation and other regulatory issues. However, genuine progress in the power sector requires bi-partisan support and a Special National Group on Power which represents a broader political spectrum is needed to build and carry forward any consensus on these daunting challenges. Without a broader political engagement which can withstand change of governments and the underlying uncertainties of electoral cycles, these issues would remain grossly underaddressed. Power reforms brook no delay and we hope to see some light at the end of the tunnel....