April 2013 News 6: GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTES POWER ADVISORY PANEL

GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTES POWER ADVISORY PANEL

The government has constituted an advisory group for the electricity sector to be headed by Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia comprising industry leaders to iron out the issues impacting the growth of the sector.

Among the industry leaders in the group include Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus P. Mistry, ADAG Chairman

Anil Ambani, SBI Chief Pratip Chaudhuri, ICICI Bank MD Chanda Kochhar, BHEL Chief B. P. Rao, Power

Secretary P. Uma Shankar, Feedback Ventures Chairman

Vinayak Chatterjee and Central Electricity Authority

(CEA) Chairman A. S. Bakshi.

No official from either the coal ministry or Coal India have made it to the group, despite the coal sector being a major player in shaping up the power sector's prospects.

The CEA has been asked to assist the panel in the exercise.

The group will delve into the problems plaguing the power sector, the most important being the raw material insecurity which threatens to upset the electricity production targets.

The panel is likely to deliberate on ways to minimise the losses of the distribution companies. It will also advise

the power ministry and the CEA on amending the statutes to facilitate allocation of coal at pooled prices.