Mixed grades for Piyush Goyal's early efforts

The day Piyush Goyal, minister for coal, power and renewable energy, took charge of the three departments, he told bureaucrats - "more policy, less propaganda". About 70 days since then, the three departments are still trying to accelerate work on the big announcements Goyal made. The emphasis mostly is on increasing domestic coal production, improving power supply and promotion of clean energy.

The minister is holding talks with industry associations, which are then asked not to utter a word outside. There is a strict diktat to shun corporate lobbyists. The 50-year-old ex-treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have created quite an impression in the power sector in the past two months. The industry is, however, awaiting intentions to translate into concrete action on the ground.

"The minister means business. He talks in numbers and policies. There have been power ministers in the past who had technical knowledge but Goyal is out there to get things moving in the sector," said the head of a public sector power generation company.

Goyal even got author Chetan Bhagat to hold a motivational session for some 350 officials of the three ministries. Known for his oratory, sharp memory and tactical mind, Goyal is holding brainstorming sessions with industry and ministry officials. The new regime has got applause from technocrats but old school bureaucrats say "it's diversion of time from regular work, which is anyway hectic."

Among the major changes, officials in the power ministry are warned of dealing with only one company or a certain project, especially by a private entity. "If a company comes to us with the issues faced by them, then the problem is of the sector. Our aim is not that a certain project gets approval but designing a policy that favours one and all," said a senior official at the ministry of power.

Goyal said in the Rajya Sabha last week there hadn't been much focus on the domestic solar industry. He announced an aim of large capacity addition in solar power generations based on domestic content.

For the solar power industry, the renewed emphasis on clean energy and announcement of large scale projects has brought cheer. "The ministry is making a sincere effort at engaging with the stakeholders. The approach is that of problem solving in a collaborative manner, with a sense of urgency," said Vivek Chaturvedi, chief marketing officer, Moser Baer Solar. His company is part of the consortium of domestic solar cell manufacturers, which had a meeting with the minister on July 30 over anti-dumping duty on solar cell imports.

Goyal's pronouncements, however, appear only hype to a section of the industry. "We have had detailed discussion with the minister on the issues faced by the power sector. He is trying at his end but we can't sit and wait for sectoral reforms," said a member of the Association of Power Producers, the industry body representing private power generators. Sources informed that the association, which split recently, is mulling whether to now take their requests to the Prime Minister's Office.

There is a tone of dissent in the corridors of the three ministries as well, located in different buildings. "There was talk of physical shifting of senior officers to Shram Shakti Bhawan but that hasn't happened. Then, the minister's office is low on staff and we are still clueless on directing what file to whom," said a senior official at the ministry of new and renewable energy.

Another power ministry official said the minister had only one personal assistant and one officer on special duty, with the charge of three ministries; hence, the ratio of policies versus people is skewed.

While Goyal is talking a lot on coal supply augmentation, clean energy deployment and transmission reforms, the hydro power sector is feeling ignored. Senior executives at NHPC, requesting anonymity, said the organisation is without a full-time head, which is longer than Coal India; still no attention is paid.

The minster repeatedly mentioned in his Rajya Sabha address on Wednesday last week that it's been only 67 days that he has taken charge and needs more time to bring in big reforms.

The current Parliament session did not witness any Cabinet decision related to reforms suggested for the power sector. The wait for a major overhaul, hence, becomes longer.

Till then the dreamy eyed promises, recitals of former prime minster A B Vajpayee's poem "Aao phir se diya jalayen" (Let's light the lamp again) in the Rajya Sabha and mention of Gujarat model in his speeches would keep giving the verbose minister enough attention and news space.

REPORT CARD

THE HITS

• Coal India told to cut e-auction quantities by half
• Shutting old thermal units and their coal diverted to new and efficient ones
• Dialogue with industry stakeholders, state governments
• Coal generation in June was 20 per cent more than in the corresponding period last year
• Scaling up of solar power with planned capacity additions
• Super critical thermal plants put on high priority
• Easing regulations on additional coal mining

THE SPOILERS

• More announcements than on-ground work
• Private players miffed at differential treatment, to take matters to PM
• Coal India, NHPC wait for a full-time head of organisation
• Streamlining of the three ministries yet to take place
• Nothing concrete from day-long brainstorming sessions