KOLKATA: The Centre plans to supply affordable electricity to rural households by creating huge demand for setting up solar and thermal power capacities, and cutting aggregate transmission and commercial losses. It does not plan to come up with any bailout package for power utilities, but instead help bring down power prices and reduce aggregate technical and commercial losses so that affordable power can be supplied to rural IndiaBy 2020, the government aims to supply electricity to the entire 200 million rural population that does not have access to power. It intends to expand power generation capacity to 800 gigawatt by 2030 and to fuel this it is aiming at a coal production of 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020. Citing an example, coal and power minister Piyush Goyal said, "The cost of solar power generation was as high as Rs 17-18 per unit a few years ago. With demand for solar the cost of generation is now down to about Rs 5 per unit and it fell rapidly in the last three-four years. Power generation costs will fall further." Goyal said at present some villages do have power connection but not all houses in a village have connection."There are some 20-22 households that do have access to power. We are working on a holistic plan to provide access."Power PlayOne instance of respite for power investors is not good enough. There is no getting away from changing the politics of the power sector. Even today, 30% of the power that is generated is not paid for — some is lost due to technical reasons, the bulk is stolen. Politicians must learn to understand that patronising power theft and unfunded power giveaways are anti-national. When the power sector turn economically unviable, it starves the economy of power, and investors who burn their fingers in power write all of India off as a risky investment destination.