Panel on grid discipline on the cards

In a bid to ensure stricter grid discipline among the States and penalise the ones overdrawing electricity from the grid, the Power Ministry is planning to set up a national power committee. The proposal is at an advanced stage.

“The Power Ministry is working on it and CERC and CEA would also be part of the exercise. Not only penalty it would also look at co-ordination and the government would constitute a National Power Committee,” a Power Ministry official said.

Power sector regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and sectoral planning body Central Electricity Authority (CEA) will be consulted while constituting this committee, the official added.

“The issue is that the penalty is very negligible. There is need for stringent penalty. It would be part of the amendment to the Electricity Act, 2003 mainly for grid,” the official said.

This comes in the wake of the country witnessing its worst-ever power crisis last year which left a large part of India powerless and crippled essential services for several hours.