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Perpetrators of corruption in electricity rationing will be booked: Minister Pun
Energy Minister Barsa Man Pun has said the government will investigate the policy-corruption that occurred during power rationing in the past and take action against the guilty.Energy Minister Barsa Man Pun has said the government will investigate the policy-corruption that occurred during power rationing in the past and take action against the guilty.
At a press meet in Kathmandu on Sunday, Minister Pun said he has received information about some serious cases of policy-corruption and promised to initiate action against them.
“Despite low supply of electricity in the past, the big industries were supplied power while keeping the people in dark by cutting power supply,” said Minister Pun, responding to queries from journalists. “Those involved in policy-corruption should be brought to justice so that such activities will be discouraged in the future.”
Nepali Electricity Authority, the state-owned generator and distributor of electricity power, has said currently there is no load shedding in any part of the country. Former Energy Minister Janardan Sharma and then Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, Kulman Ghising, had worked together to end power cuts in Kathmandu Valley from the day of Laxmi Pooja, the festival of lights, in 2016. Then gradually the entire country was freed from the problem of load shedding.
Prior to that, general public were forced to face power cuts for up to 17 hours a day. However, it has been revealed that some of the big industries were getting uninterrupted power supply while the commoners were bearing the brunt of long power outage.
An investigative report by Centre for Investigative Journalism, Nepal, has exposed the secret behind a decade-long power cuts to commoners. According to the report, the NEA had been supplying 4-6 megawatt power round-the-clock to Hetauda-based Shivam Cement factory while the general public were facing power-cut for 14 hours a day during the winter of 2013. It is estimated that the amount of power supplied to the cement factory could illuminate 40-60 households. The report states that around three dozen industries were allowed to have dedicated feeders by cutting the power to the general public.
Despite the increase in power import from India and the growth in domestic power generation, the NEA is still facing power crisis. Minister Pun attributed addition of more power to the national grid, proper management and the control in policy-corruption for ending the load-shedding.