National electricity plan and policy in next 6-8 months

KOLKATA: The Centre will come out with national electricity plan and policy as also tariff policy during next six to eight months as part of efforts to steamline country''s power situation, Ashok K Basu, the chairman of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, said on Thursday.
"Efforts have already started and policies will come during next 6-8 months," Basu said here, addressing members of Merchants'' Chamber of Commerce.
Also expected to be announced during this period are national electrification policy and trading license policy.
All these policies became necessary after the notification of Electricity Act, 2003 on June 10, Basu said.
He said terms and conditions of existing tariffs would come to an end in March 2004.
The CERC was working on a new terms that would cover the entire gamut of tariffs.
"Suggestions can be forwarded by all concerned by July 31 to this effect and the new regulation will be notified by December 31 this year."
As per the new policy, the CERC would grant electricity trading licence and the terms and conditions for the same would be issued by September 30.
Basu said Open Access Regulation would also be announced by September 30 and the complete modification would be done by December 31 while in the meantime existing major orders on grid connection and power repositioning etc. would continue so that there would be no vaccuum.