KATHMANDU — Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has directed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to make electricity service more reliable, quality and customer-centric.

Administering oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed Executive Director of the Authority Dirgha Kumar Shrestha on Wednesday, Minister Shrestha said that the state bodies are to work responsibly keeping service delivery in first priority.

Minister Shrestha directed the government to pay special attention to make the power system that has been restored after being disrupted due to floods in the Trishuli River sustainable and reliable. He said that all the customers, including domestic and industrial, should get quality and reliable electricity 24 hours a day, seven days and a year by regularly analyzing and projecting the demand and supply of electricity in the coming days.

Stressing on the need of making transparent, economical, efficient and efficient use of available resources, resources and human resources in difficult situation, Minister Shrestha directed to make corporate good governance and customer satisfaction an important basis for NEA’s performance.

He also directed them to accord top priority to the construction of electricity transmission line and improvement in distribution system, to expedite the construction of projects of strategic importance and to show reconstruction of power projects damaged by disaster.

Minister Shrestha stressed on the need of making the state structures stronger, accountable and result-oriented through effective coordination among the ministries, NEAs and other bodies concerned.

Managing Director Shrestha, who has been responsibly deputed from the NEA’s grassroots level to the leadership level to face the challenges in the energy sector due to the recent disaster, expressed the belief that he would work with the same commitment in the days ahead.

On the occasion, Officiating Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Jagadish Karmacharya congratulated the newly appointed Executive Director Shrestha and said that the government gave him the responsibility based on his expertise and qualifications. Expressing confidence that the Nepal Electricity Authority would achieve more impressive achievements in the coming days under his leadership, Officiating Secretary Karmacharya stressed that the leadership received from the loss of life and property due to the disaster and the challenges created by it should take the organization forward by facing all the problems.