KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has directed the subordinate bodies to regularly monitor the works of hydropower projects with licensed hydropower projects.

During the review meeting held at the Ministry, Minister Shrestha directed the employees to develop a system to follow up the work of the licensed hydropower projects.

“What I found is a big gap, the responsibility of the department is only to issue the license, what has it done after getting the license? Has the community support program been done or not? Has the CSR been done or not? Has the compliance been followed or not? Because the licensee has to carry that responsibility as well,” Minister Shrestha said.

Minister Shrestha said that even if there were no resources or system in the past, it should be made now. He said that the Electricity Regulatory Commission should be active. “That is to be done by being active with the ERC. There are also complaints that we have to come to the department and so we have to activate the system,” he said.

Minister Shrestha directed the Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Jagadish Karmacharya to develop a system of regular monitoring through the Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Instructions to put sufficient legal grounds in the comment files

Minister Shrestha also directed the ministry to pay attention to the comment files coming from the bodies under the Ministry as they do not have sufficient legal basis.

“One thing that saddens me is that when comments are raised in the ministry, when decisions are made, the legal basis is not enough. As an executive of what to do, when we are taking this responsibility, the guidance is sufficient for me as to whether to do it or not. My request on this should be clear. Now the file from 12 years ago comes, four years ago. I do not understand the seriousness of the matter. What is to be done in it, what is the sequence of events, what is it, why it happened, why should it be done, why should it not be done? There should be such grounds,” he said.

He instructed to do so in a quick manner while raising comments from now on. Minister Shrestha also said that the government has also brought a policy for a quick process.