Kathmandu, November 28
Minister for Energy Janardan Sharma ‘Prabhakar’ said on Monday that load-shedding has ended in Kathmandu because he has put a stop on illegal activities that were taking place at Nepal Electricity Authority.
He said this while addressing a discussion programme organised in Kathmandu to observe the 28th International Human Rights Day.
Sharma said darkness had engulfed Nepal because some high NEA officials were involved in what he called ‘black marketing of electricity’.
I put an end to this illegal activity, so it became possible to end power outage (in the Kathmandu Valley), he claimed.
Sharma said: Some corrupt NEA officials used to collect commission by selling electricity to many industries and business houses and consigning people to darkness. Days of those corrupt officials are gone. NEA is now under an honest and capable person, so anti-people activities have stopped there.
Sharma said the Ministry of Energy has already launched a 37-point programme to ensure people’s investment in Nepal’s water resources, asking people to help the government implement the programme. He said the programme is also intended to establish people’s ownership over the state.
Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala said the period of political stability and economic development will begin in the country after the implementation of the Constitution.
Former Finance Minister and NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat said administrative reforms are a must for realisation of sustainable development goals.
We have had more political discussions than required, he said, adding that focus should now be on economic matters.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party President Pashupati Shumsher JBR and diplomat Bhesh Bahadur Thapa said political stability is a precondition for the establishment of the rule of law, protection of human rights and development.
At the programme, rights activists, including Indra Prasad Aryal, chair, Human Rights Organisation of Nepal, the programme organiser, stressed the need to pursue human rights protection initiatives and development together.
