Import of power equipment minimised to boost 'Atmanirbhar Bharat': Power Minister R K Singh
Aug 21, 2020
New Delhi [India], Aug 21 : Union Power Minister R K Singh on Friday said that in an effort to boost the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme, the power sector has agreed to manufacture and procure most power equipment in the country and thus minimise the import of the same.
"We have taken very stringent steps. I had a meeting with all the stakeholders in the power sector. We make all the things for generation, transmission and distribution of power. There is absolutely no reason for import in the power sector except for a few items. About 30-odd items need to be imported," Singh told ANI.
"About 600 items were being imported. Out of that most items we make in the country or we can make it. We are making about 320-odd items here. Yet they were being imported. In the meeting, the industry leaders agreed that whatever items we can make here will not be imported. I had a meeting with the ministers and they also agreed to not importing items which we can make here," he added.
The Union Power Minister further said that apart from the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme, there is also an angle of security in importing power equipment as the power sector impacts a wide gamut of sectors and the ministry is taking steps to put security measures in place for the same.
"Apart from the Atmanirbhar Bharat, there is also an angle of security. Power impacts our defence, essential services, communication, data systems and the entire gamut. Power runs everything. For that reason, every country has put checks on the import of power equipment. We have also put in a system on the same lines and any equipment imported will be checked for any malware and trojans," he said.
Speaking on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case being handed over to the CBI, the Union Minister expressed hope that the truth will now come out.
"People have faith that the truth will come out after CBI has been handed over the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. They had a feeling that the case was being passed off as suicide. But there were apprehensions that it was a murder case. CBI has well-trained teams in scientific investigation and I am confident that the truth will come out," he said.
