Cabinet okays amendment to composition of Damodar Valley Corp

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) The Union Cabinet today approved amendment of the Damodar Valley Corporation Act, 1948, raising the number of members of the Damodar Valley Corporation from three to 11 to broad base and professionalise the body.

Following the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told newspersons here that under the sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Damodar Valley Corporation Act, 1948, it was proposed to delete the reference to the constitution of the DVC comprising a Chairman and two other members appointed by the Centre with an eleven-member body. The proposed changes will now include a Chairman, a member (technical) and a member (finance), one representative from the Central Government and two representatives -- one each from the Jharkhand and West Bengal Governments. In addition, there would be three independent experts -- one each from the field of irrigation, water supply and generation or transmission of electricity.

Barring the independent experts, the Chairman and other members "shall be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the state governments concerned", Mr Chidambaram said, adding that in the case of the Central Government nominee and three independent experts it will be the sole appointee.

The Chairman and members (technical) and member (finance) will be whole time members and the rest will be part time members.

"The Damodar Valley Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2006 containing such amendments will be introduced in the next session of Parliament," he added.

UNI