Plan panel to form expert group on PPP in power distribution

The Plan panel today announced constitution of an expert group to be headed by B K Chaturvedi on facilitation of public private partnership (PPP) in power distribution.

The committee, which would have on its board, Chief and Power Secretaries of the states and representation from two financial institutions, would be in place in the next two days.

After working out the various modalities on how PPP can be promoted in distribution segment in the country, the group would submit a report to the Central government.

However, no timeframe has been set when the group would submit its report.

"B K Chaturvedi, who looks after the power sector...To share a group which our infrastructure division will service to," Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters on the sidelines of a conference on PPP in transmission projects organised by the panel.

"We will have Chaturvedi, Secretary Power...May be REC (Rural Electrification Corporation) representative and couple of financial organisations," he said explaining the structure of the group.

He said, "(We will) bring in Chief and Power Secretaries from those state that have experimented with private operations."

When asked about the timeframe for setting up this group, he said, "in next two days."

Some of states that have privatised power distribution include West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Delhi and Gujarat.