NEW DELHI-Passing Power into Foreign Hands

NEW DELHI Passing Power into Foreign Hands B M PUBLIC polemics in recent weeks between the industry minister, Vengal Rao, and the minister of state for public enterprises, K K Tiwari, on the one hand, and the energy minister, Vasant Sathe, on the other, on the question of foreign financing and turnkey construction of power plants as against fuller utilisation of indigenous power plants equipment and role of the private sector in setting up power projects have been interesting and revealing of the state of confusion in the government. While Vengal Rao was somewhat restrained when he declared that private enterpaise could not be relied upon to build power projects since it would not be able to raise enough capital for the purpose, K K Tiwari went hammer and tongs against Vasant Sathe for what he claimed was a "distorted version of government policies" and dubbed him as "minister to private enterprise". Vasant Sathe, on his part, declared that BHEL equipment would be used only if it was competitive with foreign supplies, presumably not only in respect of prices but credit back-up also, for power projects and went on to suggest that BHEL might as well as transferred to his ministry for better co-ordination and to end unseemly controversies.