Anti-graft body tells NEA, UTHEP to get their act together

KATHMANDU, MAY 25 -

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Thursday directed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and the Upper Tamakoshi Hydro Electricity Project (UTHEP) to act transparently.

The anti-corruption watchdog has ordered the two to convene the UTHEP board and reach decisions by considering the national interest.

The CIAA has also told the NEA to withdraw all its decisions made after Feb 26 regarding the 456 MW project. “As UTHEP has not held its board meeting, the NEA’s board was found to have taken several decisions including appointment of the project director,” said CIAA Spokesperson Ishwori Prasad Poudyal. “We told the NEA to cancel all the decisions it has made on behalf of UTHEP and hold the project’s own board meeting to decide anything.”

The NEA had recently named Sunil Kumar Dhungel as the project director, but the UTHEP board is yet to approve his appointment. The NEA has a major influence in UTHEP as its managing director holds the position of UTHEP chairman.

Trouble started after the NEA appointed Arjun Kumar Karki, joint secretary of the Energy Ministry, as the project chief. His appointment was criticized by the board members representing Nepal Telecom (NT), Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Rastriya Beema Sansthan (RBS) and Citizens Investment Trust (CIT), forcing the NEA to roll back its decision.

The appointment of Sunil Dhungel as the new project director in

mid-April also triggered another clash among the board members, with some for him and others against him.

The board is yet to confirm his appointment. The anti-graft body stated that it had become urgent for the UTHEP board to take decisions to move the project ahead after meeting with the secretaries of the Energy and Information ministries, the general manager of Nepal Telecom, chief of the Employees’ Provident Fund and the acting executive director of the NEA on Thursday.

“But the board has not taken the initiative to solve the problem by holding its regular meeting,” said the CIAA in a press release. It has said that

hindering the work of the national pride project on one or the other

pretext cannot be termed good or appropriate.

Last week, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee directed the authorities concerned to clear all the hassles delaying construction of the hydel project within a week. PAC has also directed its chairman to hold a board meeting in seven days.

Estimated to cost Rs 35.29 billion, UTHEP is the biggest hydropower project being constructed with domestic capital.

The government, financial institutions and public enterprises including NT, EPF, RBS and CIT have pledged to invest in the project.

Source: The Kathmandu Post