The government has acknowledged that power sector reforms are the foundation to keep the growth ticket valid. But that urgency has to defeat the self-protection instinct that grows in every political party, come election time. The constituency that is supposed to benefit the small farmers goes on to use diesel (another bad economics story) to run their pump sets or are encouraged to steal electricity.

What these episodes show is the public interest is rather different from what it is purported to be when the battlelines are drawn to block reform. As the SEZ debate unfolds, keeping focus on the public interest will be the real challenge.

The writer is editor, economic affairs, ‘The Financial Express’