Gurung and Karki appointed as NEA board of directors

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation appointed energy and water resource experts as board of directors of the Nepal Electricity Authority. DevendraKarki and Mahendra Bahadur Gurungare the newly appointed personalities. Gurung was the chief executive officer of Pancheshwar Development Authority and Karki is former secretary at the Ministry of Energy.

The government appointed Karki and Gurung in the two posts that were vacant as the ministry removed Bhakta Bahadur Pun and Kapil Acharya from the board of directors on August 2. Gurung and Karki were also appointed the same day. Pun and Acharya were asked to submit written clarification on July 30 as they took a firm stand that the industries that didn’t pay the outstanding dues for using the electricity through dedicated and trunk lines should be cut and not be connected until they paid the dues.

Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka relieved both of them the day they submitted their clarification citing their answers were not convincing. The duo took a firm stand against resuming electricity supply to the industries despite Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s assurance to the industrialists that the public utility would resume the power supply to the industries despite the dues they owe to it.

The NEA cut off the electricity supply to six industries including Reliance Spinning Mills, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhanchi Cement, Jagdamba Steel, Jagdamba Synthetics and Hulas Steel since July 9 for not clearing the due. After constant pressure from Prime Minister Oli and the decision of the NEA Board, the power was resumed to the industries on July 24.

Earlier in January, the then Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government had assigned a three-member committee to study the issue and submit a report to the government. The committee was led by a former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal.