Monday, April 4 2005 13:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Appealing political parties to shun differences over user charges for electricity, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Apr 4, 2005) said there should be a "broad consensus" on energy policy to attract new investment for sustaining over seven per cent economic growth.

"The challenge of rational pricing and distribution of electricity has to be addressed in a non-partisan manner. We need to work towards more rational pricing policies to ensure new investments," he said launching the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna.

The new scheme, aimed at providing electricity in all the remaining 74,000 villages in a time-bound manner by 2009, was launched in the presence of National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Expressing concern over poor delivery system, Sonia underlined the Government's commitment to ensure proper monitoring and involving panchayats for proper implementation and achievement of physical targets.

Electricity should be valued and used judiciously, Singh said adding, "Even when Governments offer subsidy to certain categories of users, they must understand the relevance of this subsidy and have respect for the asset being provided to them."

"I, therefore, urge our political leadership to take a more long-term and national perspective in pursuing energy policy," he added.

Giving details of the scheme, Power Minister P M Sayeed said the Government has allocated Rs 5000 crore for providing subsidy under the scheme.

In a country of over one billion people and a dynamic economy growing at over 7 per cent, "we are going to consume more energy and we will have to generate this energy," the Prime Minister said.

"The challenge of economic generation, distribution and pricing of electricity has to be addressed in a non-partisan manner so that we can, in fact, ensure rapid spread of electrification across the country and can attract new investments in this vital sector," he added.

Stressing that rural electrification is a key foundation stone in the modernisation of agriculture, Singh said, "We can not delay the implementation of this basic commitment any longer and this 'yojna' is an important first big step."

The scheme was launched across the country through a videoconference in which 12 Chief Ministers and Bihar Governor participated.

The scheme is aimed at providing electricity to the remaining 56 per cent rural households by 2009.

Sonia said the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) laid the greatest stress on rural prosperity and Government was committed to fully implementing it.

She said the Bharat Nirman programme and this scheme were steps in the direction and topmost priority would be given for development of agriculture, employment, education, health and rural electrification for which increased allocations were quite unprecedented.