KATHMANDU – Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that the completion of mega infrastructures had spread the hope in the country at the times negatives narratives had started to gain a ground.
Addressing the inaugural programme of the Hetauda sub-station today, PM Dahal reiterated that timely completion of large-scale infrastructures, the wrong negative and wrong narratives such as ‘Nothing has happened in this country and nothing will ever happen in this country’ had been replaced and proved wrong by facts and figures.
“The three big sub-stations would not only be a backbone for supply electricity within the country but also for bilateral power trade between Nepal and India as well as for sub-regional and regional power trade,” the PM asserted, adding that with the sub-stations in place, another milestone has been added towards the development of energy sector and country’s prosperity.
He shared that expansion of infrastructures under the east-west, north-south transmission and distribution lines have been accelerated at a rapid pace.
The PM reminded that his government had ushered Nepal towards brightness by ending power outage in the past and proudly shared that around 95 per cent of the places of the country had access to electricity transmitted from the national grid.
With alternative energy, around 99 per cent of the population in the country has an access to electricity, mentioned the Head of the Government.
According to him, works were being carried out to achieve cent per cent electrification in the country within a year and half.
He instructed the Ministry of Energy and Nepal Electricity Authority to deliver on providing sufficient, reliable, quality and safe electricity service besides encouraging the consumers to increasing domestic consumption of electricity.
“I have taken the construction of the infrastructures capable for supplying around 4,000 megawatt electricity as the important milestone for the energy development of the country”, explained PM Dahal.
Hetauda sub-station has become another ‘hub ‘ for east-west power supply, to supply additional power to India and for regional power trade, he explained.
Sharing that technical capacity of Nepali engineers and technicians, who designed and supervised the construction of three 400-kV sub-stations, have increased, the Prime Minister stressed that such knowledge, skill and capacity should be followed in other projects.
Similarly, PM Dahal expressed the belief that significant achievement would be gained in implementation of long-term power trade agreement between Nepal and India.
“Discussion was held with Indian Prime Narendra Modi on the issues of strongly implementing the past bilateral agreements when I had gone to attend swearing-in ceremony of Indian PM Modi,” he explained.
Sharing that electricity is being exported to India in six months during rainy season, PM Dahal underlined that even though electricity has to be imported to fill the gap between the domestic power production and demand seen in winter season for few more years, a situation has surfaced where it would be net importer of power from this year.
He expressed the belief that the power trade would not only make positive contribution in foreign exchange reserves, but also contribute in reducing trade deficit between Nepal and India, adding the preparation of exporting around 40 megawatt surplus power of rainy season to Bangladesh has reached final phase.
Stating that there were problems like using the forest area, cutting trees and land acquisition in the course of construction of the transmission line, PM Dahal said he has the information that there is obstruction since the last six-seven years in the construction of the 400-kV transmission line connecting the Hetauda substation to the Dhalkebar substation.
He urged the locals not to become a hurdle but become the catalysts in the construction of transmission line of strategic importance. Emphasising on immediately carrying out the remaining works by addressing the justified demands raised by the local community, he urged the bodies concerned including the local government and administration for providing the required cooperation and facilitation in the development and construction works.
“Not only the transmission and distribution lines, the government is working towards implementation of the 1061 megawatts capacity Upper Arun and the 635 megawatts capacity Dudhkoshi reservoir-based projects by mobilizing investment for the same,” the PM said, adding that the construction of the 1200-megawatt-capacity Budhigandaki Reservoir Hydropower Project has been moved ahead after undertaking its financial management. He said these projects would be of strategic importance in Nepal’s journey towards prosperity.
According to the Prime Minister, the domestic and foreign investors’ attraction towards hydropower development sector has increased due to the investment-friendly policy adopted by the government in this sector.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Shalikram Jamkattel, federal parliamentarian Deepak Bahadur Singh, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) executive director Kulman Ghising were among the dignitaries present in the programme.
