Round Table on Infrastructure

New Delhi, Sep 25 (UNI) In a major initiative aimed at restricting government intervention in financing various sectors of the economy, the government today floated a consultation paper on 'Approach to Regulation; Issues and Options.' The hugely attended round table marked the national debate on what should be the regulatory structure relating to various sectors of the economy.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told the participants that the final paper on the regulatory situation in the Infrastructure sectors would be sent to the Prime Minister before operationalisation of the approach to regulation.

This would involve further consultation with experts and stake holders before the Cabinet concretises its views.

The first Round Table saw consensus emerging on the need for regulation and also for clear guidelines which could help and limit government's role.

The round table was attended by senior secretaries to the Central government, Chairman Railway Board, Chairman TRAI, Representatives from the PMO, and private experts.

The participants, however, deferred on views on the concept paper which has favoured setting up of a Department of Regulatory Affairs.

The general opinion was that the Regulatory bodies need to be directly answerable to Parliament.

Dr Ahluwalia was of the view that the consultation paper was a move aimed at evolving regulatory structures and it would take time before the regulatoiry mechanisms mature.

He invited differnt views from the participants so that he could bring about necessary changes in the concept paper.

The much delayed concept paper which has inputs from the Finance Ministry, has been floated at a time when when the country is on the way to holding the first-of-its-kind infrastructure meet in October, an exercise aimed at building credible regulators for the infrastructre sector and bench-marking these with internationally best regulatory practices in this regard.

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