PM to convene CMs conference on Power reforms

New Delhi, Mar 29: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced that he will convene a chief Ministers' conference to arrive at a consensus on power reforms.

''Power reforms are necessary to modernise the power sector and provide electricity to all at cheaper rates,'' he said after launching the Barh transmission system including the 500 kv, 2,500 MW Ballia-Bhiwadi HVDC system through remote control from his official residence here where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde were present.

Dr Manmohan Singh, however, did not specify the date of the conference.

Recalling Lenin who defined Communism as 'Soviet and power', he said it would not be wrong to say that democracy meant 'social justice and power'.

''We are proud of our democracy. But we have to do a lot in the field of development, especially the development of power,'' he said.

The Prime Minister said the 'Bharat Nirman' programme started by his government would change the face of India.

''Gone are the days when people living in less developed areas used to stare at the railway tracks and electricity poles. Now people want trains to stop at their villages, and also want electricity lines passing through the jungles to provide power to their fields and homes,'' Dr Manmohan Singh said and added that the 'Bharat Nirman' programme would fulfill this dream of the people.

He said power from the Barh transmission system would be pooled at Ballia (Lok Sabha constituency of Mr Chandra Shekhar) and then transferred to Lucknow and Mau in Uttar Pradesh, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, Moga in Punjab and Hissar in Haryana.

The development of the pooling station would help in the continuous supply of electricity to the industrial centres in western India, he said.

''If the people of Ballia have to take advantage of the system, then Ballia has to be developed.'' he added.

Lauding Mr Chandra Shekhar's political career, he said the former Prime Minister always took decisions in national interest.

''He played a courageous role in taking the country out of the BOP crisis,'' Dr Manmohan Singh said, recalling his long association with Mr Chandra Shekhar.

UNI