Wednesday, July 13 2005 16:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: : Government today (July 13, 2005) set up an Energy Coordination Committee chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to enable a systemic approach for policy formulation in area of energy planning and security.

The Committee, which will have Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Mani Shanker Aiyar, Power Minister P M Sayyed, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia as its members, will provide institutional support to decision making.

It will also have Members like, (energy) Planning Commission Minister of State for Non-conventional Energy Sources Vilas Muttemvar, chairman of Economic Advisory Council to PM and National Manufacturing and Competitive Council, National Security Advisor besides Principal Secretary to the PM as its convenor.

The committe will identify key areas for energy policy initiatives so that overall objective of economic development of energy security and sufficiency are met, official sources said.

It will monitor vulnerabilities impinging on energy security aspects and outline follow-up action, that was needed to be taken for implementing identified policy initiatives as also periodically monitor policy decisions.