A (power)house of dreams......

The Union Minister for Power (boy, he sure must be a powerful dude...) had stated in the Rajya Sabha yesterday that India would go from its current power-deficit status to a electricity-surplus status within five years. Mind you, he has said five YEARS, and not five DECADES. This surely calls for some celebration, and I am sure that Aditya and Maya would be ecstatic, to say the least.

Now, let's get back to reality, and investigate how the Hon'ble Minister proposes to achieve this great task, that too within such a short time frame. Statistics quoted by the Minister reveal that as of date, India suffers a mind-boggling 70,000 MW deficit. I am surprised. I mean, considering that we have had such hair-brain proposals, politicization of the state electricity boards, rampant corruption, large-scale distribution losses, this would seem to be an achievement in itself that we haven't crossed the 1 lakh mark yet. Felicitations!

So now, what does this 'Five Year Plan' have in store for the nation? Well, ultra mega power projects with single generation unit of 4000 MW would be launched. I wonder: if this is what an ultra mega power project can muster, how would we describe an initiative generating 10,000 MW? Super Ultra Mega, perhaps? Suggestions are most welcome...

Next, the Hydroelectric Policy is to be amended to tap the 150,000 MW potential in the North-East. That's simply amazing! I mean, we have had this entire potential all this while, and we were what, sitting on our backsides suffering a deficit? Either we are the world's biggest idiots, or this potential has arisen suddenly from the depths of the earth or come down from the lofty heights of the Himalayas.

The private sector also is being 'encouraged' to set up captive generating capacities. Let me understand this: the government actually wants competition? And that too competition which will definitely show them in a worse light? (Not that they are any better off now, but heck they still have some standing, non?)

The Tatas have been in this business for over a century now, and they still cannot sell their electricity to non-industrial consumers. This was a restriction laid down by the then incumbent British establishment to prevent an indigenous private sector power utility to become too strong. Of course, the Tatas didn't leave with the backs to the Taj at Colaba, did they? And our thick-headed politicos and babus never quite realized that this was a restriction that should have gone out along with the Union Jack over the Red Fort. So the Tatas, a genuine private sector entity, suffer from the 'encouragement' that the State has provided so far.

Reliance is comparatively better off, but then it enjoys a monopoly in a sense, and I figure it was obvious that they would, considering that they have so much political muscle to flex for them. And its record on consumer relations doesn't exactly endear one to the idea of private sector entities in power generation and distribution.

One more pointer, maybe to the Left parties: We are getting foreign companies as well, but only from Russia and China. The rest may not bother applying. So, you needn’t cry yourself hoarse about selling out the nation. I say, Mao and Stalin would have been pleased with this state of affairs.

All said and done, this is a ‘powerful’ speech, meant to ‘electrify’ the nation, and ‘brighten’ up the darkest enclaves of the country. I just hope no one turns the switch off.

P.S. Although I may seem all sarcastic, in my heart, I pray that the Minister's initiatives bear fruit, and the troubles afflicting us go away. It will not be easy, but then Rome was not built in a day, was it?