The Centre is planning to conduct a joint mid-term appraisal of the Orissa power reforms programme in association with various stake holders in the process such as the state government and the World Bank.
The Centre will also seek the views of the employees' union and industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in this regard to make the appraisal broad-based, Union power minister Suresh Prabhu said.
The minister who was here on a 2-day visit to the state said the proposed review meeting will be held at Delhi in January.
Prabhu said Orissa is the pioneer state in undertaking reforms in its power sector. However, there were complaints of revamp operation not yielding desired results.
Stating that failure of reforms in Orissa will have a negative impact on similar programmes being undertaken in other states, he said the proposed appraisal will bring out the shortcomings in the process and help the authorities address them effectively.
He said the Centre has initiated steps to prepare a countrywide basic data base on the power sector. The exercise intends to assimilate comprehensive information on the available technical and human resource infrastructure and financial position of the industry starting from the district level.
Stating that help of various state electricity boards (SEBs) has been sought in this regard, he said, without a basic data base, the privatisation process which is crucial to the reforms programme will not succeed in the country.
Earlier, addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Enterprise 2001, Prabhu said the Centre will back Orissa government's march in power sector. The Centre is also willing to fund whatever investment is required to take corrective measures to put the reforms process back on rails, he added.
On the Electricity Bill, 2001, he said the government intends to intervene in the regulator's job. But the regulatory system has to be made accountable, he observed.
Prabhu said Orissa has the potential to emerge as the fastest growing state in the country if it utilises its natural and human resources judiciously. Stressing on the need to increase consumer spending to tide over the economic slowdown, he expressed satisfaction over India's six per cent growth rate despite global recession.
