Words of Wisdom from a Senior GoI Bureaucrat

Today I attended a talk by a senior adviser to the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
The talk confirmed some of the initial hypothesis I had about Indian energy sector.

As per him, below are some of policy imperatives required to improve the energy sector in India:

1. Remove entry barriers & raise competition. Level the playing field in exploration, extraction, conversion, transmission & distribution of energy.
2. Institute reforms in pricing, taxing & subsidizing different forms of energy to promote optimal fuel choices and allocation of resources.
3. Ensuring lifeline level of energy access
4. Strengthen or introduce independent legislation
5. Augment & diversify energy options, sources and energy infrastructure.

The learned speaker also talked about the conflict between the interests of the politicians of this country and its people. It was depressing to hear that 2/3 rds of India does not have access to safe and reliable energy even after 60 years of independence. And the sad part is that if things remain the way they are, the situation may be the same for the next 60 years also.