SC refuses to issue stay order against capacity upgradation
KATHMANDU, FEB 03 – The Supreme Court on Sunday refused to issue a stay order against the upgradation of the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project, stating the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) board is yet to approve the Cabinet decision to upgrade the project’s capacity from existing 60MW to 90MW.A division bench of Justices Kalyan Shrestha and Girish Chandra Lal said since the 644th meeting of the NEA board on January 10 decided to complete the project on time, the authority cannot carry out activities against that board decision.The court also said as the plaintiff can seek legal remedy in case of any unconstitutional move, a stay order is not needed at the moment.Challenging the Cabinet’s controversial decision to upgrade project, Advocate Loknath Chapagain had filed a writ in the Supreme Court on January 8. Chapagain had sought annulment of the Cabinet decision and necessary orders. Stating capacity upgradation of the project would cause a huge loss to the NEA, he had also sought a stay order against the Cabinet decision.Chapagain had made the Prime Minister’ Office, Energy Ministry, NEA, Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project and China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd the defendants.In its final verdict, the court, however, said the Cabinet had given the approval only in principle stating NTA should take a decision after conducting study of financial and technical aspects of the project.According to the court, following the Cabinet’s approval, an NEA board meeting had asked the management committee to study whether the project’s capacity should be upgraded deciding, however, that the project should be completed on time.“Given the management committee has not recommended the project upgradation and a legitimate decision is yet to be taken, there is no need of issuing a stay order, as doing so might obstruct project construction,” read the court statement.The Chinese contractor had long been demanding the project be upgraded. After its plan to upgrade the project was denied twice by the NEA board, the ministry had tabled the proposal to the Cabinet in mid-December.The contractor had signed an agreement with NEA in May 2010, in which it had committed to complete the project (then 60MW) by May 2014. With the capacity expansion, the project is pushed back by three years. The upgradation will also require an additional investment of Rs 4 billion. According to the NEA, the Chinese contractor has already increased the cost for the upgradation. The company, which had initially quoted Rs 2 billion, has now doubled the cost to Rs 4 billion.
Source : The Kathmandu Post
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त्रिशूली–३ ‘ए’को क्षमता वृद्धि नहुने
माघ २१, काठमाडौं । माथिल्लो त्रिशूली–३ ‘ए’ जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको क्षमता वृद्धि नहुने भएको छ । क्षमता वृद्धि गर्ने मन्त्रिपरिषद्को निर्णयविरुद्ध परेको रीटमा सुनुवाइ गर्दै आइतवार न्यायाधीशद्वय कल्याण श्रेष्ठ र गिरीशचन्द्र लालको संयुक्त इजलाशले यस्तो निर्णय गरेको हो । नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरण सञ्चालक समितिको ६ सय ४४औं बैठकले त्रिशूली–३ ‘ए’ को पुरानै करारलाई निरन्तरता दिने निर्णय गरेको थियो । सर्वोच्चले सोही आधारमा क्षमता वृद्धि गर्न नमिल्ने निर्णय गरेको हो । मुख्य सरोकारवाला विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले नै पुरानो करारलाई निरन्तरता दिई आयोजनामा कुनै रोकावट नगर्ने प्रतिबद्धता गरेकाले यसमा अदालतले अन्तरिम आदेश दिन नपर्ने बताएको छ ।
गत पुस १९ गते मन्त्रिपरिषद् बैठकले माथिल्लो त्रिशूली–३ ‘ए’ जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको क्षमता वृद्धि गरी ६० बाट ९० मेगावाट पुर्याउने निर्णय गरेको थियो । मन्त्रिपरिषद्को निर्णयपछि बसेको प्राधिकरण सञ्चालक समिति बैठकले करारबमोजिम आयोजनाको काम कुनै बहानामा नरोक्ने भनेको थियो । मन्त्रिपरिषद्ले क्षमता वृद्धिको निर्णय गर्नुअघि प्राधिकरणले गठन गरेको एक समितिले क्षमता बढाउँदा रू. ४ करोड ४५ लाख ९० हजार अमेरिकी डलर लागत बढ्ने, रू. १४ करोड ८२ लाख युनिट थप बिजुली उत्पादन हुने प्रतिवेदन बुझाएको थियो । प्रतिवेदनमा आयोजना निर्माण भने ३ वर्ष पर धकेलिने उल्लेख थियो ।
विनाअध्ययन सरकारले सार्वजनिक खरीद ऐन, २०६३ विपरीत सो निर्णय गरी कमिशन र भ्रष्टाचारबाट लाभ लिन खोजेको आरोपसहित अधिवक्ता लोकनाथ चापागार्इंले सर्वोच्चमा रीट दायर गरेका थिए ।
६० मेगावाट क्षमताको आयोजना सम्पन्न गर्न रू. ८ अर्ब ११ करोडमा चिनियाँ गेजुवा ग्रूप कम्पनी र नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरणबीच सन् २०१० मा सम्झौता भएको थियो । सो सम्झौता हुने समयमा गेजुवाले वैकल्पित प्रस्तावका रूपमा आयोजनालाई वर्षायाममा १ सय २० वा ९० मेगावाट क्षमताको बनाउँदा क्रमशः ४० र २५ प्रतिशत बढ्ने बताएको थियो । तर, सरकारले ९० मेगावाट क्षमता वृद्धिमा पुरानो खर्चमा झण्डै ५० प्रतिशत वृद्धि गरी गेजुवालाई क्षमता वृद्धिको जिम्मेवारी दिइएको भन्दै मुद्दा सर्वोच्च पुगेको थियो । थप क्षमताका लागि रू. ३ अर्ब ८८ करोड लगानी गर्न परिषद्ले गेजुवासँग सम्झौता गर्न खोजेको थियो । सन् २०१४ सम्ममा पुरानो करारबमोजिम आयोजना सम्पन्न गरिसक्नु पर्नेछ ।
सार्वजनिक खरीद ऐन, २०६३ विपरीत सरकारले क्षमता वृद्धि गर्न नयाँ बोलपत्र आह्वान गर्नुपर्नेमा सो नगरी गेजुवा कम्पनीलाई स्तवः आयोजनाको जिम्मा दिएको आरोप लागेको थियो ।
