NEW DELHI, JANUARY 22: The Delhi Cabinet today approved the short-term plan in the strategy paper on the power sector. Though fighting shy of calling it privatisation, the Government has allowed setting up of distribution companies ``on a joint-venture basis, with the Government as a minority equity holder.''Delhi Power Minister Narender Nath, however, would not call minority equity holding by Government as a step towards privatisation. ``Nowhere in the white paper have we said we are privatising power,'' he said, emphasisng the difference. ``This is not privatisation, this is corporatisation. These joint ventures would be set up with the help of people.''Nath's assurance about public participation, however, was not really held out by the public reaction to the white paper. The invitation to Delhiites for ideas on the white paper which was announced a week back, apparently evoked no response. Sheila Dikshit, who presided over the press meet, said: ``We got no response from the people. There was not a single suggestion to improve the white paper. Our Cabinet itself has come out with its own ideas for making the billing system better, which has been added to the programme.''On the possibility of an increase in the power tariff, last hiked in November 1998, she said: ``The rates may increase or even decrease, if we succeed in checking theft and improving billing.'' The tariff will be set by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission which will be established next month, she announced.The focus of the short-term plan, she said, was the next summer. ``This primarily involves checking power theft, either by tampering with the metres or on a larger scale by the industrial units.''The enforcement of action in theft-prone areas will begin as soon as security personnel are provided to the DVB. This is crucial because, as Dikshit explained: ``The officials, when they go on the raids, face danger of assault by those involved. We have been assured that we will get the additional forces we asked for after the India-Pakistan test match series is over.''A special three-month drive, as a prelude to summer, will be launched to improve billing and cover the backlog by April. It has also been decided that a cash counter of the Delhi Vidyut Board will be opened in every Assembly segment. The modalities of setting up corporations for generation, transmission and distribution will be worked out by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission when it is set up.Dikshit also announced that T.L. Sankar, principal, Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad, will assist in the implmentation of the programme. R.L. Narayan, former general manager with the erstwhile Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking, will act as adviser to the Delhi Government on power.
