Kathmandu — During the meeting of the Infrastructure Development Committee under the House of Representatives held on Sunday, lawmakers fired a series of questions at Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka.
the lawmakers questioned Minister Khadka’s working style, pointing out the long delay in moving forward with the Water Resources, Electricity, and Renewable Energy Bill, as well as the sluggish progress of the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Project. They also demanded that the withdrawn Water Resources Bill and the stalled Electricity Bill be finalized without further delay.
MP Madhav Sapkota said, “Looking at the two instances — the take-and-pay provision in the budget statement and the Water Resources Bill — it seems as though the Ministry of Energy is not being run by the honorable minister himself, but directly by the Prime Minister.”
Raising questions about the Electricity Bill as well, he asked, “What exactly is going on with it? Where is it? Why isn’t it moving forward? It’s always on our agenda, yet it never reaches a meaningful conclusion. Therefore, this cycle of discussion after discussion must end with today’s meeting.”
He emphasized that since the bill has been under study and discussion for a year, it must now be concluded without further delay.
He said, “The honorable minister himself has approved the 28,000 megawatt target as the Energy Roadmap. This bill is essential to implement it.” He also raised questions regarding the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion and the dedicated trunk line.
MP Shakti Basnet raised questions about the withdrawal of the Water Resources Bill passed by the House of Representatives from the Council of Ministers.
“We completed many procedures during the drafting of the bill and sent it to the Cabinet. The committee should not be made a fool like this. What happened with the Water Resources Bill was not right,” he said. “It has been nearly two years since the Electricity Bill. The ‘take-and-pay’ provision was included in the budget and later revised, but it seems to be addressed internally. Minister sir, if you are not satisfied with the take-and-pay provision, then why did you suggest delaying the bill? Speeches alone are not enough.”
Similarly, MP Rajendra Bajgai also raised questions about the Water Resources Bill. “Where is the Water Resources Bill? Why was it withdrawn? Minister sir, please clarify this matter.”
MP Basnet requested a basis for extending the deadline of the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project. “The work on the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion is said to be almost zero this fiscal year. What grounds are there to believe this project will be completed?” he asked. “At this rate, how many more years will it take to finish?”
MP Mahesh Basnet also raised questions about the various official and unofficial rumors circulating in the market regarding the Water Resources Bill. He further alleged that although the bill had been thoroughly discussed and concluded, it was terminated due to the direct involvement of the ministry.
He said, “Not knowing where this bill has gone has diminished our enthusiasm to advance other bills. We have also held many discussions on the Electricity Bill and have consulted with foreign stakeholders and institutions. However, it has still not been finalized.”
He also argued that the absence of the Electricity Bill would cause problems in electricity production under the ‘take-and-pay’ system.
Regarding the extension of the deadline for the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion, he said, “Should the committee form a subcommittee to study this matter? It is said that only about 2 percent of the work has been completed this time, and there are also reports that the work has come to a complete halt. Please clarify whether we should move forward with the project or terminate the contract.”
MP Bina Lama, Sita Gurung, Nisha Dangi, and others argued that the Water Resources Bill has already been passed by the committee and that returning it from the Council of Ministers was inappropriate. They emphasized that other bills should also be discussed and advanced as quickly as possible.
What was the minister’s response?
Minister Deepak Khadka informed that the Water Resources Bill is currently in the National Assembly. Responding to the questions raised by lawmakers during the committee discussion, he said, “It will be passed soon. Regarding the take-and-pay issue, the honorable members have raised concerns. The matter has already been addressed in Parliament, and the Finance Minister has also provided a response.”
He also stated that efforts are being increased to ensure transmission lines in all areas. “Since the government alone cannot build transmission lines, we have involved the private sector and made progress,” Minister Khadka said. “There is no problem with the transmission lines themselves. Some confusion has arisen due to different interpretations in various places.”
Minister Khadka claimed that the Water Resources Bill has been finalized and moved forward. He also argued that there is no need to halt the Electricity Bill. “Currently, there are two bills. These bills had already been submitted two years ago. Since there has been extensive discussion on the Renewable Energy Bill, I meant to say it can be moved forward quickly,” Minister Khadka said. “There have also been many discussions on this bill.”
What did the minister say about the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion?
Responding to lawmakers’ questions about the work being carried out by the Undersecretary on the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project, Minister Khadka argued that the work has been entrusted based on expertise.
Additionally, Minister Khadka informed the committee that instead of terminating the contract, the project would be advanced by requesting a revised schedule from the contractor company and extending the deadline.
“The national pride project will irrigate 1,122,000 hectares. It has been 31 months since the contractor stopped work,” he said. “The foundation has already been prepared. It was completed once, then washed away and had to be redone. The contractor’s complaint is that due to floods, insurance was not received. They have requested an extension of time, which we are willing to grant. The bank also warned that terminating the contract would cause problems and said it would rather provide additional loans. So, we are now preparing to extend the deadline.”
He said that when they tried to award the contract once, it was not possible to do so, and since the contractor requested an extension, preparations are underway to grant more time. Minister Khadka stated, “There is a challenge in awarding the contract with a 50–60 percent increase in the ongoing project, and on the other hand, the contractor has requested an extension. Even though there were two years allotted, terminating the contract now would cause another problem. The ministry has reached the position of giving the contractor a chance and seeing how it goes.” He added that the government will decide how much time to extend.
According to Minister Khadka, 10 percent of the construction work for this project has been completed. “A project worth 1.3–1.4 billion has been completed. The tunnel is ready. The government will hold further discussions and proceed accordingly,” he said.
Regarding the questions raised by lawmakers about the trunk line, he argued that information needs to be obtained from the Ministry of Finance. “The committee has studied the matter, and a request has almost been submitted. It has been pending for a long time—about 10 years. We will find a solution,” he said. “We are focused on raising the necessary funds.”
Source: Ratopati
