House committee directs ministry, NEA

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    NEA_BuldingKATHMANDU, Sept. 14:The Agriculture and Water Resources Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has directed the Ministry of Energy to report reason for failure to appoint a Chief Executive Officer at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

    The Committee meeting held at Singhadurbar on Sunday, directed saying that administrative, financial and technical problems had arisen for lack of appointment of the NEA chief for long.

    The meeting also directed the high officials of Energy Ministry and NEA to be present in the next committee meeting with working schedule of works of both in the current fiscal year.

    Committee President Gagan Thapa said they were directed as the NEA and Ministry works were not transparent and there was corruption.

    Lawmakers had objected that Chameliya, Kulekhani Third, Upper Trishuli 3 B, and Rahughat Hydel Projects were in problem and no measures were taken.

    MPs also said the cost of a hydel of Rs. 150 million per megawatt had reached more than Rs. 400 million and the contractors were unduly benefited in the name of variation.

    MPs speaking were Amrit Kumar Bohora, Jamindra Man Ghale, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Ananda Pokhrel, Nirmal Subedi, Dilli Prasad Kafle, Chhewang Tenjen Tamang, Nawaraj Sharma, Rekha Sharma and Laxmi Prasad Pokhrel.

    Similarly, Energy Secretary Rajendra Kishor Chhetri said works are moved ahead for mitigation of energy crisis in a planned manner and demanded with the committee for necessary cooperation.(RSS)

    On Chameliya delay, he said wrong design and problem in geological study were the causes. A PAC Sub-Committee has been investigating on it, he said and informed that Rs. 1.09 billion payment to the contractor has been stopped.

    He said project repair will be moved ahead after Jure landslide in Sindhupalchok and they will be done under World Bank Disaster Management Fund.

    On NEA appointment, Supreme Court has directed to appoint Mukeshraj Kafle as NEA chief on the basis of the decision of the Public Corporation Direction Board.

    NEA´s Officiating Executive Director Ram Chandra Pandey said works could not be done as expected because of legal and policy complexities and urged MPs to help ease the difficulties. RSS