India mein bijli ke liye competitive market banane ka plan filhal atak gaya hai. Haryana jaise states ne private companies ki entry rok di hai taaki unke apne sarkari DISCOMs safe rahein. Investors ke liye ye ek bada policy risk hai.
Reform ki raah mein bada roadblock
Central government ka plan tha ki bijli distribution mein 'parallel licensing' layein, jisse customers ke paas option ho ki wo apna service provider chun sakein. Lekin ab state governments iske khilaaf khadi ho gayi hain. Recent case mein, Haryana government ne regulator ko saaf bol diya hai ki Eleven Power Private Ltd ka 25-saal ka license process wahi rok diya jaye, jo Gurugram aur Nuh regions ke liye plan ho raha tha.
Mumbai ka model kyun fail ho raha hai?
Socha gaya tha ki jaisa telecom industry mein hua, waisa hi power sector mein bhi hoga. Lekin India mein sirf Mumbai ek aisa major region hai jahan parallel licensing successful rahi hai. Baaki jagah state-run DISCOMs ka raj hai. States Section 108 of the Electricity Act ka use karke private companies ko entry dene se mana kar rahi hain.
States kyun darr rahi hain?
Iske peeche ka main game 'cross-subsidization' hai. DISCOMs industrial aur commercial clients se zyada charge karke, agricultural aur residential users ko sasti bijli dete hain. Agar koi private player enter karega, toh wo sirf high-paying clients ko target karega. Isse sarkari utilities ka revenue model bikhar jayega aur sirf loss-making customers unke paas bachenge.
Investors ke liye kya matlab hai?
Power sector mein distribution reform abhi slow aur complicated lag raha hai. Haalaanki generation, smart metering aur grid modernisation mein paisa lag raha hai, lekin distribution business shayad lambe time tak state-controlled hi rahega. Regulatory deadlock ka matlab hai ki market-driven distribution abhi door ki kodi hai.