NA to invest in hydel project for the first time
Kathmandu / December 15: The Nepalese Army (NA) is going to invest in hydropower production for the first time. The NA was ready to invest in 12.25 MW Madikhola Hydropower Project in Rolpa.
The budget programme of the current fiscal year and the white paper recently issued by Finance Minister, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, have incorporated the plan of mobilizing army in the hydropower sector.
The NA is to take the project, which was in’ basket fund’ of the government for long, ahead but discussion regarding its modality was underway.
In today’s meeting of the State Affairs Committee under the Legislature Parliament, Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri said that the NA has already sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense and Energy Ministry regarding the modality of the Madikhola Hydropower Project.
CoAS Chhetri said that they have been holding discussion with the ministries and the construction works of the project would be forwarded soon after the decision.
He further said that the NA was going to invest in the hydropower sector after lawmakers urged it to resolve the problem of energy crisis by utilizing the Army Welfare Fund. The Fund has Rs 35 billion.
On the occasion, lawmaker Gangalal Tuladhar urged the NA to involve in hydropower production, saying the existing energy crisis, facing by the country, would be resolved if the NA could forward the hydropower projects in a planned manner.
The government has decided to forward the Khimti-Dhalkebar transmission line after some problems were surfaced in distribution of compensation and land ownership during its construction, by mobilizing NA.
Likewise, lawmakers– Aindra Sundar Nembang and Yagya Raj Sunuwar, Nabindra Raj Joshi, Rameshwor Phunyal, expressed the view that amount of the Army Welfare Fund couldbe utilized to resolve the energy crisis.
The Madikhola hydropower project incorporates three projects– 12.25 MW Madichaour hydropower project, 8.4 MW Madi hydropower project and 3.6 MW Lower Madi hydropower project. CoAS Chhetri informed that they would also involve in development construction on the basis of government’s direction and supervision. RSS