RESTRUCTURING POWER SECTOR: A PATHWAY TO FUTURE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

Commerce

Power development in India commenced at the end of the 19th century with the commissioning of electricity supply in Darjeeling during 1897, followed by the commissioning of a hydropower station at Sivasamudram in Karnataka during 1902. In the Pre – Independence era, the power supply was mainly in the private sector that too restricted to the urban areas. With the formation of State Electricity Boards during five year plans, a significant step was taken in bringing about a systematic growth of power supply industry all over the country. A number of multi – purpose projects came into being, and with the setting up of thermal, hydro and nuclear power stations, power generation started increasing significantly. Since independence, the growth of Indian Power Sector has been noteworthy. The increasing installed power capacity from 1,362 MW to over 1, 00,000 MW and electrification of more than 5, 00,000 villages are impressive. In spite of this achievement, very high level of technical and commercial losses and level of commercial approach in the management of utilities created an unsustainable financial operation. The present paper explores the restructuring power sector in India and the sustainable development through low financial expenditure.

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