Mr. Vice-Chairman, Sir, I thank
you for giving me this opportunity to speak on the Calling Attention motion on
the system of counter guarantees and other assurances given by the Government
in the context of foreign investment in power sector. The Honourable Minister
has given a very elaborate statement in this House and certain queries have
been raised by my friend. As far as India and other countries of the world are
concerned, power is a very important thing in the development of agriculture,
industry, trade and exports. In our country, through various planning
programmes, we have been tapping sources available for the production of power,
whether it is the thermal power or the hydroelectric power or the gas power120
or the nuclear power. But within our resources, we are not able to meet the
demand. It is known to140 all the Honourable Members of this House
who come from the North the South, the East and the West as160
to how the States are starved of power. In some States, for agricultural
purposes, they are giving only 15 to 20 per cent of power per day. Industries
are not running to their full capacity because of power shortage, Therefore, in Eighth Plan, the Honourable
Prime Minister and the Honourable Minister of Energy took keen interest and saw
to it that the power position was improved. They have envisaged generation of
30,000 megawatts of power. But our actual requirement is240 48,000 megawatts. With
the available resources, the Government of India has provided some funds, but
they are insufficient. Therefore, they have approached the private investors
within the country and some investors from abroad also. I understand that some
foreign companies280 are coming forward to invest in the
power sector in India. When the new economic policy had been announced by the
Government of India, the new energy policy had also been announced
simultaneously. Now we are getting encouraging results.320 We know pretty well
as to how the States are suffering in the power sector, how the State Electricity
Boards are managing their affairs. Several meetings were held by the Honourable
Minister on the issue of the subsidy. Due to the360 subsidy being given
to the agriculturists and to the industries, the State Electricity Boards are
running into losses. Even the arrears due to the Central Government are running
into crores of rupees. Sir, the State Government
bodies like the State Electricity Boards are not making profits. They are running
on losses. The State
Governments are also not in a420 position to
guarantee a foreign investor. Ultimately, the persons who come here and invest
400 to 600 million dollars for each project, do want a concrete guarantee for
their investments. It is quite natural for any businessman or any
person who comes and invests in our country to expect a guarantee for his
investments. Here, the Government of India comes and480 help the State Governments in having their power
projects. Now they are reading too much in between. I am glad that by the
efforts of the Maharashtra Government a 1000-megawatt gas-based power plant is
coming up there. But the State Government, with all the resources at the
command, is not in a position to invest in the project. The foreign companies
who come forward to invest there will not invest on the assurance given by the
State Government of560 Maharashtra
alone. They want the Central Government to give a guarantee for their funds.
That has to be taken care of. Even if I am a businessman, unless and until
there is some kind of guarantee for my funds, I will600 not invest them. Therefore, the Honourable Minister has rightly mentioned three things. One
is tie-up with banks. Another is a State Government guarantee backed by the
Government of India guarantee. The third thing is the handing over of
transmission lines640 directly to the private consumers. The
interest of foreign investors is very clear. Even if we Indians go to any other
country for investing, we would like to have a guarantee for our money.
Therefore, it is quite natural for any foreign investor to expect a guarantee
for the money he invests here. If things go according to the700
agreed terms and conditions, it is well and good. If there is any violation on
the part of the State Governments, 720 in spite of the protective clauses we
are having, then they would like to invoke the guarantee clauses. It is natural
for any foreign investor. Therefore, we are in a position to give more power in
this country for industrial purposes, for the purpose of agricultural output,
and for various other aspects also. If we have more power in this country, that
will bring a revolution in the country. Therefore, the terms and conditions mentioned
by the800
Honourable Minister for the purpose of giving counter guarantee to the foreign
investors to come and invest in our country is a healthy move and I support it.
Madam Vice-Chairperson, the present amendment concerns only
Section 7 and Section 9 of the840 parent Act through which the Government wants to take certain powers to
spend some funds on the staff and also to construct some cabins etc. The
question of national highway and providing adequate express highways and other
highways in the country is such an important issue that the Government should
give topmost priority either by diverting funds or from other sources or by
reducing the Governmental expenditure, because the days are not far off when
the entire roads of this country will be completely blocked due to increased
traffic. Probably all the vehicles will be on the roads. Those days are not far
off. People may be dying in an emergency van or milk may not be reaching the
children960 in
the towns and the vegetables and other foodstuffs may not be moving. Those days
are not far off980 if the present state of roads continues. Therefore, the need is to have
a very speedy programme, an action programme which, within a very, very short
period, should cover and improve the present highways and also to construct
express and direct highways between the National Capital and the various
States. Madam Chairperson there are about 50 National Highways in the entire
country. What is the state of affairs of these Highways or the roads and the
vehicles? For instance,
when our country became independent, there were only 14,000 vehicles in the
National Capital Delhi, but today there are more than 20 lakh1080
vehicles in the city of Delhi. Similarly, there were only a few lakh motor cars
and other vehicles. Now, the number has increased manifold and crores and
crores of new vehicles are there in the country. I had asked1120
a question today about the National Highway No. 1. The question could not be
brought on the starred list and it was an unstarred question. I asked whether
it was a fact that a large number of deaths and serious injuries are caused as
a result of accidents on National Highway No. 1 between Ambala and Delhi. I
further asked whether the Government proposed to construct expressways and
multilane highways in the country and what were the remedial steps being taken1200
by the Government. In reply to the question, the Minister stated that they had
got a plan. In the 8th Five-Year Plan they wanted to widen highways from
two-lane to four-lane in a length of 900 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs.
1,600 crores and widening of two-lanes in a length of 1350 kilometres at an
estimated cost of1260 Rs. 360 crores.
Madam, as you know, the judicial system consists of
two parts that is, the Bar and the Bench.1280 The people in both the Bar and the Bench come from the same background,
the legal background. Sometimes, they are interchangeable. But unfortunately,
in this tussle which has been going on between these two wings, it is the
public which suffers; it is we, the people, who are mentioned in the Preamble
of the Constitutions We look forward to the judicial system as the guardian of
the people's interests. Now, why this has happened, it is difficult for me to
go into. In this connection, I would like to mention one or two things. In the
first place, I would like to mention that this kind of a tussle sends wrong
signals to the lower levels and it1400 creates a laxity in the judicial system at different levels. Madam
Chairperson I would like to remind the Honourable Law Minister that according
to the figures given by his Ministry, there are more than thirty lakh cases
pending in the different1440 High Courts and there are over twenty thousand cases pending in the
Supreme Court. Now, it is absolutely essential that some kind of an
equilibrium, some kind of a harmony, is restored in the system. I say this
because judiciary is the corner-stone of our Constitution. Things move through
the Executive and also through the Legislature. It is the Legislature which
makes the laws. Madam, the people are concerned over this matter. Rather, they
are intrigued. Therefore, something has to be done. Of course, I do not expect
much from the Government as such. The Executive is scam-ridden. You can say it
is scandal-ridden. The second organ is the Legislature. The legislators are the
representatives of the people who are supposed to function on behalf of the
people. But it is rather unfortunate. I read an article by one of the most
distinguished journalists. The first sentence says that the politicians are the
most hated persons in the country. We should1600
take note of it. If there is degeneration in the Executive, if the Executive
gets jammed because of the scandals, scams etc., if there is a deterioration in
the image of the Legislature, we look forward to the judiciary as the guardian,
as the protector, of our liberties and the country's interests. 1652
