Energy Minister complains about interference by parliamentary panels

KATHMANDU, Aug 18:

Minister for Energy Radha Gyawali on Tuesday said parliamentary committees were interfering with the works of government agencies.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Gyawali, who is also chairperson of NEA’s board, said parliamentary committees should facilitate government agencies instead of interfering with their works.

She was referring to the direction of parliamentary Finance Committee to take action against those allegedly involved in massive rise in variation order if Chameliya Hydropower Project.

Minister Gyawali as well as NEA board members and some senior officials of NEA are the persons alleged to have committed irregularities.

Gyawali also said she has already raised the issue before Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang.

Accumulated loss of the power utility in the last four years stands at Rs 26.79 billion. Its net loss in 2014/15 was Rs 6.51 billion.

Mukesh Raj Kafle, managing director of NEA, blamed stable power tariff despite hike in purchase price as the reasons behind ballooning loss figures.

NEA imported electricity worth Rs 10 billion in the last fiscal year. Price difference on import and tariff alone inflicted loss of Rs 2.5 billion on NEA, said Kafle.

The government had written off its accumulated loss of Rs 27 billion four years ago.

Meanwhile, NEA’s income from sale of electricity increased by 5.89 percent to Rs 30.48 billion in the review year. Its total income reached Rs 32.56 billion in 2014/15.

NEA’s technical loss, which stands at around 25 percent, is one of the reasons behind increasing loss of the power utility.

Source: Republica