Plan Comm seeks report on Chinese gear from Power Min

CEA recently submitted its report on the performance of Chinese equipment to the Ministry

Amid rising concerns over cheaper imports, the Planning Commission has asked the Power Ministry to furnish the CEA report on the performance of Chinese equipment being used in country's various power plants.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the apex planning body for the power sector, recently submitted its report on the performance of Chinese equipment to the Ministry.

"We have reviewed this thing. We would like to have a look at the various equipment including the Chinese. So we have asked the Ministry for Power to let us know about the CEA report (on performance of Chinese equipment)," Planning Commission Member B K Chaturvedi told PTI today.

After gathering inputs from various quarters, the Commission would take a view on the issue of performance of Chinese power equipment, he said.

The move assumes significance amid clamour for hiking import duty on overseas power equipment to help the struggling domestic industry which is hurt by cheap gear.

According to sources, the CEA report has found that performance of Chinese equipment at local power plants has not been too well.

Meanwhile, Chaturvedi said that a large number of Chinese equipment has been coming into India and the Commission would like to know the performance of these power gears.

"...So we would like to know what the performance is, what needs to be done to see that what is the need for spares, what is the need for servicing," he said.

CEA has prepared the report on the basis of inputs received from various project developers.

Chaturvedi said India has a large number of power plants but there are no facilities for spares and servicing which is an important issue.

"We have so much plants and we don't have any manufacturing capacity for spares, manufacturing capacity for servicing, that's an important issue for us," he said.

Chaturvedi said the Planning Commission would like to see the report only from the "angle of performance" and not other issues.

The report which is yet to be made public is being reviewed by the Power Ministry. In 2008, the CEA had prepared such a report entailing the performance of Chinese power equipment.

Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Praful Patel has written to Finance Minister P Chidambaram demanding additional levy of 5% on imported power gear.

In July last year, the government had slapped 21% import duty on power equipment.