Budhi Gandaki Hydel Project gets top government priority
GORKHA, JUN 17 -
The government has said it will give high priority to the construction of 600 MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. Energy Minister Gokarna Bista and Education Minister Ganga Lal Tuladhar, who visited the project site on Thursday, said the government will start work on the project this year.
“The government will leave no stone unturned for the completion of this project,” said Minister Bista, adding that the government will form a separate entity within a month to start the project. “We’re currently holding legal and technical discussions in this regard,” said Bista.
Saying that resources will not be a problem for this reservoir project whose estimated cost is Rs 100 billion, Bista said, “Domestic financial institutions and locals will be given the first priority for investment,” said Bista. “We’re currently holding talks with domestic financial institutions, while the Employees’ Provident Fund, Nepal Telecom, Citizens Investment Trust and Rastriya Beema Sansthan have already agreed to invest in the project.”
According to Bista, foreign investment would be sought if domestic financing falls short. The government has said it will allocate resources for the detailed project report of the project in the next year’s budget.
As the project will affect 12 and 11 VDCs of Dhading and Gorkha districts, respectively, the government is planning a compensation package for those affected. The package will include 50 percent compensation and 50 percent share in the project. Minister Bista said the government is committed to complete the project within the next five years even if it requires deployment of Army personnel.
Education Minister Tuladhar said the government will move forward with the project through consensus. “Enough budgets will be allocated for the project,” said Tuladhar.
However, Maoist lawmaker Salikram Jammakattel termed the government plan ‘ambitious’, saying: “The issues of whether locals will have ownership over the project and whether they will get investment opportunities should be solved through consensus.”
The government came forward to construct the project itself after the project failed to draw foreign investors’ interest. Due to their expensive nature and vulnerability during and after construction, both local and international investors are reluctant to invest in storage-type hydro power projects. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started work on the project in 2009. The feasibility study of the project was completed in 1984.
The government, while unveiling the energy crisis resolve programme in the third week of March, had said it would hold talks with international power companies directly to expedite the construction of hydropower projects, including Budhi Gandaki, in the country.
Source: Kantipur
The government has said it will give high priority to the construction of 600 MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. Energy Minister Gokarna Bista and Education Minister Ganga Lal Tuladhar, who visited the project site on Thursday, said the government will start work on the project this year.
“The government will leave no stone unturned for the completion of this project,” said Minister Bista, adding that the government will form a separate entity within a month to start the project. “We’re currently holding legal and technical discussions in this regard,” said Bista.
Saying that resources will not be a problem for this reservoir project whose estimated cost is Rs 100 billion, Bista said, “Domestic financial institutions and locals will be given the first priority for investment,” said Bista. “We’re currently holding talks with domestic financial institutions, while the Employees’ Provident Fund, Nepal Telecom, Citizens Investment Trust and Rastriya Beema Sansthan have already agreed to invest in the project.”
According to Bista, foreign investment would be sought if domestic financing falls short. The government has said it will allocate resources for the detailed project report of the project in the next year’s budget.
As the project will affect 12 and 11 VDCs of Dhading and Gorkha districts, respectively, the government is planning a compensation package for those affected. The package will include 50 percent compensation and 50 percent share in the project. Minister Bista said the government is committed to complete the project within the next five years even if it requires deployment of Army personnel.
Education Minister Tuladhar said the government will move forward with the project through consensus. “Enough budgets will be allocated for the project,” said Tuladhar.
However, Maoist lawmaker Salikram Jammakattel termed the government plan ‘ambitious’, saying: “The issues of whether locals will have ownership over the project and whether they will get investment opportunities should be solved through consensus.”
The government came forward to construct the project itself after the project failed to draw foreign investors’ interest. Due to their expensive nature and vulnerability during and after construction, both local and international investors are reluctant to invest in storage-type hydro power projects. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started work on the project in 2009. The feasibility study of the project was completed in 1984.
The government, while unveiling the energy crisis resolve programme in the third week of March, had said it would hold talks with international power companies directly to expedite the construction of hydropower projects, including Budhi Gandaki, in the country.
Source: Kantipur
