By IANS
New Delhi : Emphasising the importance of nuclear energy to India’s long-term economic development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday urged all political parties to “appreciate the vital national interest” in pursuing a sound strategy to achieve energy security for the nation.
“I urge all political parties to appreciate the vital national interest of pursuing a sound energy security strategy,” the prime minister said while laying the foundation stone for the Rajiv Gandhi Urja Bhavan, an ‘energy centre’ that would concentrate on devising ways and means to address the country’s growing energy needs.
“India is on the move and we must be able to address its growing energy demand. No government can afford to shirk this responsibility and hope to find favour with the people,” he said.
His remarks on the need for nuclear energy came at a time when his government was faced with its biggest crisis with the Left and opposition parties protesting strongly against the civilian nuclear energy deal that he took personal interest in negotiating with the US.
“It is extremely important that our people are made aware of the economics of energy,” he said. “From a long-term perspective, nuclear energy and solar energy can play an important role in addressing our energy security needs. Our government is committed to the development of nuclear energy.”
Stressing on new strategies to deal with the rising energy demand, he said India’s energy needs cannot be met with oil and gas for long as the economy was growing.
Accordingly, he emphasised that research that would be taken up at the Rajiv Gandhi Urja Bhavan must be holistic in all forms of clean and renewable energy and the technologies that emerge must be commercially viable.
Among those present at the event were United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, his deputy Dinsha Patel, Lt, Governor of Delhi Tejinder Khanna and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit.
“Currently, the total domestic production by Indian companies is less than one third of current domestic consumption. As we know, oil and gas reserves in India are quite limited,” the prime minister said.
“As we grow, our growing import bill for imported crude oil will put unbearable burden on our economy. We need a new paradigm of energy security to address our developmental needs,” he said.
“This paradigm would have to focus on several issues – a less-energy intensive path of development, increasing use of non-conventional and renewable energy sources, also aimed at reducing carbon emissions, and improving efficiency in production and consumption.”
Such a strategy, Manmohan Singh said, would have to be based on coordinated development and judicious use of domestic and global resources.
“This will require exploring new technological options, new financing means, identifying new sources and building new bridges with new partners.
“We need to develop all our energy resources – coal, gas, oil, hydro and nuclear along with renewable, such as wind and solar. Moreover, there are many options of using alternative fuels and technologies,” he said.
“In our country we have excessively interfered with energy pricing. Each time our utilities have to raise rates and our oil companies have to raise prices, extraneous considerations come in.”