Modi urges PM to raise global energy security issue at G-8 Summit

Ahmedabad, Jul 11 (UNI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take an initiative in research and development (R&D) of low-cost solar energy, create a separate fund and set up a Special Task Force of Afro-Asian countries for global energy security.

Mr Modi in an open letter urged the Prime Minister to take up the issue of global energy security from abundant solar energy at G-8 Summit scheduled to be held in Russia from July 15 to 17.

He suggested setting up an organisation of countries blessed with sunshine on the lines of OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Countries). He even christened it ''Surya Putra''.

If the G-8 refused to accept it, Mr Modi said, India should start a movement of Third World on behalf of energy-starved countries for developing low-cost, pollution-free, sustainable source of energy.

''The potential remained untapped because of high capital cost.

It is not a one nation's job, and not at all one single developing country's job.'' ''It is an irony that the solar energy is least developed in countries which received maximum sunshine,'' he said.

UNI VKC PM PK ND1936