New Delhi ~ 4th October

The President has given his assent to the Energy Conservation Bill 2001 passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament ending August 31 2001. With this the Bill has been notified in the Gazette of India as Act No.52 of 2001. The Act has come into force with immediate effect except the penalty part of it which has been kept in abeyance till the time people concerned are acclimatized about economics and efficacy of conservation of power or for a period of five years.

The Energy Conservation Act 2001 seeks to set up a Bureau of Energy Efficiency whose Governing Council will he headed by the Union Minister of Power. It will work out stringent norms for conservation of energy in all forms wherein there will be no room whatsoever for sub-standard equipment. The Bureau will exercise the powers of the Central Government for enforcement of efficient use of energy and its conservation. The States will emulate the Centre at its level. Besides the existing Energy Management Centre will merge together with its assets liabilities and employees in the Bureau. The Act is a unique law of its kind with India being the second country in the world to have such a law.