Of several institutions constituted for the governance of power sector, the village electricity committee in Orissa, as a forum of users of electricity service to check theft, support officials collect revenue and help villagers in getting good service, has become an innovative step towards giving local people an opportunity to participate in the governance of the power sector at the grassroot level, thereby heralding an era of decentralised governance in the power sector in the state. Though VECs face some inherent problems like dominance of the powerful in the village and interference of local political leaders, these committees can do well with the active support and cooperation of the officials of the utility.
