KATHMANDU, June 9:
National Association of Community Electricity Users-Nepal (NACEUN) has urged the government and the parliament to endorse Electricity Bill and Electricity Regulatory Commission Bill at the earliest to resolve problems plaguing the country´s power and the rural electrification campaign.
Organizing a press meet on Monday, Dilli Ghimire, chairman of NACEUN, said that law should enable access to electricity for people in rural areas.
With the start of the budget session of the parliament, new laws are expected to be tabled in the parliament for discussion and endorsement. However, the Ministry of Energy is yet to start preparation for tabling any bills in the parliament.
The association has also suggested to the government for decentralization of power in electricity development and operation. It has also demanded that community electricity users be taken as partners in expansion and regulation of electricity distribution. NACEUN has implemented rural electrification program in coordination with 249 organizations. Ninety percent of the cost is borne by the government while local consumers contribute the remaining fund.
The association has also suggested to the government to incorporate a provision to establish Rural Electrification Board in the Electricity Bill for sharing tasks of electricity development with local governments. Ghimire maintained that the board would not be like Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). It would be a small entity at the center that will delegate authority to local level and work together for policy formulation, he added.
Source : Republica
