Consumption boost, marketing of electricity govt priority: PM

 Kathmandu, Mar. 7

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has said that expansion in the consumption of energy and its international marketing is the main priority in his third term as the premier of the country.

"The government will put its utmost efforts to achieve national prosperity in Nepal's energy sector," he said while addressing the opening ceremony of 86-Megawatt Solu Khola (Dudhkoshi) Hydroelectric Project, the largest hydropower project promoted by the private sector in the country, in Kathmandu on Tuesday evening.

Stating that there is no room for making any mistakes to achieve the targets of economic prosperity, Prime Minister Prachanda said that he will contribute to the improvement of the national economy through the expansion of electricity consumption and international marketing. It will support in the economic prosperity of the country, he maintained.

According to him, the target of producing 15,000 megawatts of electricity in 10 years, the goal which he had set during the first time as the Prime Minister, was not achieved due to various reasons and said that there is no excuse to achieve this goal during the third term in the leadership.

PM Prachanda asserted that a positive achievement could be made in the latest Nepal-India Secretary-level talks for the expansion of electricity export trade, and claimed that the government has now reached the stage of trading electricity not only with India but also with Bangladesh.

He stated that renewable energy has become an indispensable element in the modern world and there is an opportunity to achieve historical achievements in this area.

"Nepal can earn enough income not only from clean energy hydropower but also from hydrogen production. The government has both opportunities and challenges to run industries like chemical fertilizer through hydrogen," PM Prachanda said.

He said that he is aware of the problems faced by the hydropower sector of Nepal and that he is taking the initiative to consult and collaborate with the private sector to find solutions to the problems.

The Solu Khola (Dudhkoshi) hydropower project, built by Sahash Energy, was launched five years ago and it began electricity generation a month ago. Him Prasad Pathak, Chairman of the company, expressed his confidence that after the construction of this project, the private sector has gained the experience and capacity to build hydropower projects up to 500 Megawatts.

The Solu Khola Dudhkoshi Hydroelectric Project is located at Solu Dudhkunda Municipality and Thulung Dudh Koshi Rural Municipaltiy of Solukhumbu district.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same programme Prime Minister Prachanda said that there is no government plan or permission to open a university in Mustang.

Responding to the blame made by the former Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli that the government had permitted to establish a university in Mustang in the interest of foreign power groups, PM Prachanda said that it was just a rumour. He also made it clear that the government had received no plan or proposal to establish a Buddhist university in Mustang and no such plans were approved.

Prime Minister Dahal mentioned that a school in Mustang applied for the permission to teach Buddhist philosophy, but the government agency has not yet given approval for that. Current government has no other priorities other than the national economic prosperity. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 March 2023.