The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has cautioned against the clamour to provide free power saying that people want assured, uninterrupted and quality power. Inaugurating a three-day International Conference on ‘Recent Developments in Clean and Safe Nuclear Power Generation,’ organised by the Institution of Engineers (India), in Hyderabad today, he said free power meant low power and finally no power. “There is a misconception among politicians that of you don’t give free power you will lose power,” he added.Shri Naidu said one should understand that low power would lead to frequent power cuts. Therefore, the focus should be on assured power for which people are willing to pay. The Vice President said that the country is witnessing an increasing demand for energy and the consumption was only bound to go up further by 4.2 per cent per annum. Rapid urbanization and industrialisation are among the factors that would push energy demand and consumption further, he said.Keeping the consumption in mind, he said that increasing the share of nuclear energy in the overall energy mix of the country was essential to ensure sustainable development of the nation and also to achieve India’s international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He said that clean and cost-effective energy was the need of the hour.The Vice President said that nuclear power is a cost effective and commercially viable energy resource. A developing country like India should make good use of such an important energy source that is clean and cost-effective.
The Vice President said that one of the cheapest sources of energy being produced in India today is by a nuclear power plant (TAPS-1 & 2: 92 paisa per unit). Electricity generated by the latest Kudankulam nuclear power unit-1, sells for a little over Rs. 3 per unit, which is very competitive.Referring to the contributions of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha in the development of nuclear energy in India, he said that India has been pursuing a robust three-stage nuclear power programme as formulated by the eminent scientist and said that India has made a remarkable progress in producing a clean, low-cost nuclear energy.As part of promoting Swachh Bharat campaign, he called upon scientists, engineers, doctors and others to create awareness among people on the need for having clean energy. He said that clean fuel, clean mind, clean body and clean money were essential for making India into a healthy and wealthy nation.The Vice President also called for massive afforestation to increase the green cover in the country. “For long, we have played with the nature. Now nature is playing with us”, he cautioned and wanted people to protect nature and preserve culture for a better future.The Vice President exhorted Love the Nature and Live with the Nature. He further said that Nature, Culture together for better future. Let us have clean Tan (body) Man (mind) Dhan (money), he said. Shri Naidu concluded by saying ‘if you follow this you can have healthy and wealthy nation’.The Home Minister of Telangana, Shri N. Narasimha Reddy, former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Dr. R. Chidambaram and the President of Institute of Engineers India, Shri Sisir Kumar Banerjee, Engineers, Scientists and Professors were among those present at the event.