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Panel set up to formulate parameters for power projects

The Centre has constituted a standing independent group, headed by former chief justice of India P N Bhagwati, to facilitate negotiations and establish transparent parameters for negotiation of power projects proposed by foreign agencies or companies.

The other members of the group are T R Satishchandran, former chief secretary, Karnataka; M K Sambamoorthy, retired chairman of the Central Electricity Authority; Dr P K Pachouri, director of the Tata Energy Research Institute; T L Sankar, principal, Administrative Staff College of India; and Deepak Parekh, chairman, Infrastructure Development and Finance Company.

An official release on Tuesday said the government had received several proposals for setting up large capacity power projects with low tariffs.

Meanwhile, the Delhi high court on Tuesday gave complete liberty to the central government to take any decision regarding the multimillion Apollo power project until a final verdict by the court.

A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Ajay Prakash Misra and Justice Dalveer Bhandari said the government was "free to take any decision as may be necessary, but it will be subject to the outcome of the court's verdict.''

The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by environment and legal activist B L Wadehra, challenging the signing of the memorandum of understanding reached by the Apollo Hospital Group and JMC Development Company of the United States with the Energy Management Centre of the ministry of power for setting up of a power plant in Delhi.

The counsel for Apollo stated that the government was not taking any decision because the matter was pending before the high court.

Dr Wadehra stated that there was no reason for the government to take any decision as he never sought any stay from the court on the project.

The case was then adjourned to December 8 for further direction.

Wadehra has contended that the project was approved through the MOU signed on February 12, 1995, in a questionable manner since the central government, after authorising state governments to establish their own power plants, jumped into the fray itself and signed the MOU after the Delhi government seemed reluctant to go ahead with the deal.