Saturday, August 6 2005 14:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Aug 6, 2005) reviewed India's energy security preparedness at the first meeting of the inter-ministerial Energy Coordination Committee.

"This was the first meeting of the Committee headed by the Prime Minister. We reviewed the present position, what will be the position after the 10th plan, 11th plan and beyond," Power Minister P M Sayeed told reporters after the two-hour long meeting.

He said two presentations were made at the meeting one by Planning Commission Member (Energy) Kirit Parikh and the other by Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi.

"The meeting was about how we must have our own security of energy in the short, medium and long term," he said.

Parikh said the meeting reviewed the energy scenario of the country for next 25 years and the policy options needed to bridge the demand-supply gap.

The meeting discussed coal and gas shortage in the country and stressed acquisition of coal, oil and gas assets from abroad to meet the fuel shortage in the country.

"India is likely to have a coal demand of 1.5-2.25 billion tonnes by 2025 and it would require huge amount of imports," Parikh said.

The Committee was set up last month to enable a systematic approach to policy formulation in area of energy planning and security.

The ECC has ministers of finance, power, petroleum, non-conventional energy as well as Planning Commission deputy chairman among others as its members.