KATHMANDU – The World Bank’s representatives including its Vice-President for South Asian region Hartwig Schafer have paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal on Friday. In the meeting held at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the two discussed various projects funded by the World Bank.
Minister Bhusal, on the occasion, appreciated the contribution made by the World Bank in the development of Nepal, and expressed her confidence that more cooperation would be extended in coming days. Hoping that the World Bank funded projects would be completed on time and Nepali people would be benefited, Minister Bhusal said, “We want to realize development projects at the earliest. For us, it is the time that matters more than the economic resources this moment.”
The Minister further said they had been continuously striving for the rights of people, and assured the visiting World Bank team that they would always be aware and alert to secure welfare of the public. Similarly, World Bank’s Vice-President Schafer expressed his concern about the cooperation extended by the World Bank in the economic development of Nepal.
He shared that the World Bank had been investing in the road infrastructures, agriculture development, education and poverty eradication among other areas and said that it was keen on investing in energy sector of Nepal.
Likewise, Nepal Electricity Authority’s Executive Director Kulman Ghising said they were hard pressed for time when it came to development. According to him, electricity produced in Nepal would go in vain since the construction of transmission lines were not completed in time.
The World Bank has provided concessional loan for the construction of 400-kv Hetauda-Dhalkebar transmission line and Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat 220-kv transmission line. Furthermore, discussion was being held to obtain concessional loan for the 1,061MW Upper Arun Hydro Power Project in Sankhuasabha district.
