Northeast needs special attention from rest of India: Goyal

India's northeastern states require special attention from the rest of the country, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

"Unless we care for northeast India, we will never be able to change the future of India," he said, delivering the inaugural address at the two-day conference of state power ministers near here, adding the region requires concern, care, commitment and special attention from everyone.

"I am happy that this conference has developed into a good platform for exchange of ideas and to understand each other's problems," he added.

The union minister also sought the support of the states to stop the menace of power thefts in the country.

Sharing Gujarat's experience of reduction of power thefts, Goyal said the tariff increase in the state had been the lowest.

"It is not the poor who steal, and it's the bigger power thefts which make corruption," he said.

The half-yearly conference is being attended by power ministers and secretaries of the state and union territories and senior officials of public sector undertakings of the ministry.

It aims to review implementation of various ongoing schemes, programmes and issues pertaining to the power, coal and renewable energy sectors.

Among other issues, "adoption of energy conservation building codes by states and energy efficient agricultural pumps will be discussed", a power ministry stament said.

"In the area of renewable energy, state-wise review will be taken on solar power, wind power and small hydro power as well as the compliance of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) and Renewable Energy Certificates," it added.

--IANS

bc/vd