With the Planning Commission facing a tough job of adding 100,000 mega watts of power over the next five years,it has set up a working group to help achieve the target. Chaired by power secretary P Umashankar,the group will assess capacity addition in the power sector during the Eleventh Five Year Plan and set up targets and devise strategies for power generation starting 2012. The group also includes officials from the Central Electricity Authority,the power ministry,Central Electricity Authority and private sector firms including Tata Electric and Reliance Energy. It is expected to submit a report by September 30. The group will also give suggestions on the future of schemes such as the Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme and the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana by reviewing their effectiveness. The committee has also been mandated to explore avenues for purchase of power from neighbouring countries through joint venture schemes and assess the existing infrastructure facilities in the country for power generation. In its first meeting,held last week,the committee set up nine sub-groups to study various issues in the sector,including power demand projection and power generation planning,transmission planning,including national grid energy conservation and financial issues. Keen to get a wide range of views on board,the panel has also asked heads of sectoral organisations and private sector firms to nominate officials to the sub-groups. The countrys lagging power sector will be one of the key focus areas for the Twelfth Five Year Plan. Bogged down by problems of environmental clearance and lack of coal,the country is expected to miss even the truncated Eleventh Plan target of adding 62,000 MW.
