Power Ministry Hits Street With Roadshows For Reforms

The power ministry will launch a 45-day mass awareness programme beginning tomorrow on the need for implementing power sector reforms, during the course of which around 2,000 roadshows would be held across the country.

"We need to involve all the stakeholders including state electricity boards and the consumers. We must take them into confidence to implement the power sector reforms," minister for power Suresh Prabhu said inaugurating a conference on power distribution reforms. Admitting that the country was losing about Rs 20,000 crore annually on account of power theft, Prabhu said that the problem cannot be tackled by the government alone.

The government will invest about Rs 4,500 crore for revamping the distribution network in 60 power circles of the country. "We have undertaken overhauling of distribution systems in 60 power circles with a view to make them centres of excellence. In this fiscal we shall spend Rs 75 crore per district on the project," A K Basu, secretary, ministry of power, told reporters on the sidelines of the conference on distribution reforms.

Most of the funds for the project would come from the centrally-sponsored accelerated power development programme (APDP), Basu added. The current year's allocation of Rs 1,500 crore for APDP is being doubled to fund distribution reforms.

Power minister Prabhu said the ministry would be approaching the cabinet soon for investment of upto Rs 50,000 crore to initiate similar distribution revamping programme in about 350 power circles. "We are targeting to convert all distribution feeders into profit centres that will ensure accountability at each level to check power theft," he said.

Besides, a national level information system covering all distribution feeders for power distributed and consumed would be set up, he said, adding the cost of revamping distribution system would be shared equally between the Centre and the states.

The government's efforts have to be supplemented by state governments and local governments, he said, adding that "power theft cannot be checked without a people's movement." The focus now is on metering all consumption, checking thefts, and improving quality of power. Ministry of power has brought out a blueprint for power sector development detailing problems and their solutions, the minister said.