-Outlook Partha S. Bhattacharya, who was the chairman and managing director of Coal India Ltd (CIL) between 2006 and 2011, is credited with turning around the PSU. He spoke to Arindam Mukherjee on the heat and dust generated by the CAG report on allocation of coal blocks to private players. Excerpts: * Should the government allow the private sector into coal mining? There is plenty of coal for everyone. We are, at the...
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Karat favours coal mining through public sector
-The Hindu ‘Competitive bidding would favour private players, give rise to monopolies’ Even as the controversy over the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s (CAG) report on coal blocks allocation that reportedly caused a loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer rages, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said coal allocations and mining, in future, should be done through the public sector. In an article in party organ People’s Democracy, party general...
More »Reforms, competition in distribution and end to coal monopoly only antidotes to power failures-Arvind Panagariya
-The Economic Times The power failure in India on July 30-31 was big news in US media. When the radio and TV stations began calling with the question whether this spelt the end to India's claims to global-power status, my first reaction was to remind them that a similar failure of the grid in 2003 had drowned the entire Northeast and Midwest in the US and Ontario in Canada into darkness. But,...
More »Reliance Power got undue benefits in bidding for ultra mega power projects: CAG
-The Economic Times The CAG has questioned the eligibility of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power to have bid for any of the three ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) and said the company would enjoy undue benefits of Rs 29,033 crore over 20 years by using surplus coal at another plant. The CAG said that to be eligible to bid for a UMPP, a company should have implemented projects worth Rs 3,000 crore...
More »Plan panel asks states to hike power tariffs
-The Times of India The Planning Commission has asked states to hike electricity charges to not only save the ailing power sector but also use the subsidy to fund essential services like drinking water, education and health, which are essential for promoting inclusive growth. "The way the current situation (can) be handled is through some combination of tariff increase and serious efforts to reduce AT&C losses," Plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh...
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