India will not import power equipment from China, Pakistan: Union Minister RK Singh

NEW DELHI: Further tightening the noose against hostile Indian neighbours, the government on Friday said that no power equipment will be imported from China and Pakistan without prior permission.

The announcement was made by Union Power Minister RK Singh that came amid the ongoing border standoff with China. During a virtual press conference with state counterparts, Singh also asserted that the equipment import from China and Pakistan would not be permitted especially on the basis of inspection.

The Power Minister said that state discoms should not give orders for supply of equipment to Chinese firms. "We manufacture everything here. India imported Rs 71,000 crore worth power equipment including Rs 21,000 crore from China," Singh said in the state energy ministers conference chaired by him this morning in his opening remarks.

"This (huge import of power equipment) is something we cannot tolerate that a country will transgress into our territory....We will not take anything from China and Pakistan," Singh said in his opening remarks.

He further said, "we will not give permission for import from Prior Reference countries. We are affected. There could be malware or trojan horse in those (imports from China) which they can activate remotely (to cripple our power systems)."

Prior reference counties share land borders with us, he said. Singh further said that it is a pity that tower elements, conductors, transformers and parts of meters are imported, which are manufactured and available here.

Giving a piece of advice to state energy ministers, Singh stated, "your discoms order equipment from Chinese companies. We request you not to order from Chinese companies."

He stressed that under the Atamnirbhar Bharat mission India will not import any equipment from China which is available here and will go for inspection of imported equipment. Under inspection, the government can deny import of equipment.

The minister also announced about a new scheme for funding discoms which would subsume three schemes-UDAY, DDUGJY and IPDS.

Under the new schemes states would have to give a plan for reducing losses of discoms. The Minister said funds under the scheme would not be released as loan or grants to those discoms which would not adhere to loss reduction trajectory.

The Union Minister’s assertions assume significance against the backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Leh and Ladakh on Friday morning and was briefed by senior officers in Nimmoo amid ongoing tensions with China. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

The PM reached Nimmoo early morning today and interacted with Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel. Located at 11,000 feet, this is among the tough terrains, surrounded by Zanskar range and on the banks of the Indus.

Sources had earlier informed about CDS Rawat`s visit to Leh today. All eyes were on General Rawat`s visit since it came in the wake of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh`s visit to Ladakh being rescheduled.

The Defence Minister was earlier scheduled to visit Ladakh today to review the preparedness of the army amid the ongoing standoff with China. The situation at the India-China border remains tense after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in the Galwan valley on June 15-16 when Chinese troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation. 

India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month.