KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, has set up his office at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the first time.
Although the Energy Minister is the NEA chairman, this marks his initial move to work directly from the Authority’s premises.
The minister’s decision to set up his office and stay there comes as NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising is away at the Upper Tamakoshi reconstruction site.
Sources within NEA suggest that this move is seen as an effort by the minister to exert additional pressure on Ghising, amid ongoing tensions between the government and NEA leadership.
The dispute centers around the issue of dedicated and trunk lines, with a growing rift between Kulman Ghising, Prime Minister KP Oli, and the Energy Minister Khadka.
This has become more complicated following a Council of Ministers’ decision to collect electricity dues within 15 days.
However, despite the directive, businessmen have failed to make the payments, and the Electricity Regulatory Commission has intervened, instructing that the lines should not be cut.
In response, the Ministry of Energy has formed a committee to assess whether the bills currently being issued by NEA comply with the terms of the Trunk and Dedicated Line Agreement.
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