The Hindu : National : Power pricing needs consensual approach: Manmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005

National

National

Power pricing needs consensual approach: Manmohan

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 4. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, today asked the political leadership to shun ideological differences over power pricing and work on a "broad consensus" to evolve an energy policy that would ensure the rapid spread of electrification as also attract fresh investment for sustaining an economic growth of over seven per cent.

Launching the "Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna" — a scheme under which the UPA Government is committed to providing access to electricity to every village in the country by 2009 — here, Dr. Singh said the challenge of economical generation, distribution and pricing of electricity had to be addressed in a non-partisan manner.

This in fact, he said, was necessary to "ensure rapid spread of electrification across the country, and we can attract simultaneously massive new investment in this vital area. I would very much like this matter to be a subject matter of broad national consensus cutting across party lines in our country."

Delivery system

The chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Sonia Gandhi, who was present at the launch function, expressed concern over the poor delivery system in such matters.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National