Dispute between the Minister and NEA chief

By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel

The past few weeks have thrown many surprises. The prominent one is the dispute between the government and the power utility. From national dailies to social media, the issue of discussion at present is the conflict between the Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation and Nepal Electricity Authority Director Kulman Ghising. But why does the dispute refuse to die down?

The dispute between the Minister and the Executive Director of the NEA started some months ago, however, it began to deteriorate in recent days, especially after NEA Chief Kul Man Ghising came down heavily on industrialists who had not paid their due electricity bills for using dedicated feeders and trunk lines. The NEA even issued a 15-day ultimatum to those industrialists to clear their long-standing dues last year.

If media reports are any guide, there were initially 339 industries that were dedicated trunk line customers. Most of them have paid their dues. However, there are 39 industries that have yet to pay any instalments. After they failed to adhere to the law, the NEA Executive Director warned that if the dues were not settled within 15 days, the NEA would initiate the disconnection process. Due to the acrimony between the government and NEA, the industrialist owes at least Rs 8 billion in arrears.

While the government accused the NEA director Ghishing of working arbitrarily and disobeying the government, Ghishing blames the government for taking the side of the industrialist for obvious reasons. In his recent press conference, Ghishing pointed out how the nexus between the government and crony industrialists has taken a high toll on the economy of the country.

It is generally believed that the government is not satisfied with Ghishing’s approach while dealing with the energy trade agreement with India. It is also believed that industrialists exerted pressure on the government to take action against Ghishing, as he had warned them of power disconnection. What is even worse is that the government even decided to remove Ghishing through a decision from the cabinet meeting. However, after pressure from all sides, the government backed down.

The pertinent question that arises at this moment is why our incumbent government is mounting pressure on Ghishing to soften his stance against the industrialists. Likewise, the other key question is that the Minister is accusing him of working arbitrarily and disobeying the government. The answer to these questions could be that our politicians are taking the sides of industrialists as they are reported to fund them during the election.

Until a few years ago, we experienced a 16-hour power outage a day. In plain words, we were reeling under an acute power supply. Though people from all walks of life were hit hard, it was the economy that was badly affected as industries were shut down due to inadequate power supply to operate their businesses. While the entire globe was talking about rocket science, we were living in the Stone Age in the absence of a power supply. This is not to say that we could not meet the electricity demands of the Kathmandu denizens. We did. But many external actors paid huge amounts as kickbacks to our politicians to ensure that we experience a 16-hour power outage a day. The reason was that external forces had ulterior motives to earn quick money by selling their generators and other power equipment.

Everyone knows that Ghishing possesses more knowledge than most of the present politicians. He has the vision to help Nepal earn foreign exchange by exporting surplus hydroelectricity to India and other neighbouring countries. He is regarded as the most successful Executive Director of NEA. It was under his leadership that we were able to end the power outage. But now our politicians are hatching a conspiracy to prove him a failure by spreading the rumours that he works arbitrarily and disobeys the government. What a masterstroke of strategies.

Apart from ending the power outage, he also initiated many praiseworthy works. For instance, NEA signed a trade agreement with India agreeing to export 10,000 megawatts of power to India over the next ten years as part of a long-term power purchase partnership between the two countries. Many experts say that the step taken by the NEA Executive Director is in the broader interest of the nation.

This scribe, through this piece, is not advocating for Ghishing. My submission is that Ghishing has the knack to work for the betterment of the country. He has undertaken several pro-people initiatives, which are very likely to deliver positive results in the long run. Though there may be weaknesses and setbacks on his part, the politicians should not glorify it, ignoring the achievements under his belt.

Amidst this confrontation, one thing has come out very clearly. People like Ghishing, who intend to work for the socio-economic betterment of the country, are very likely to face political interference and pressure restricting them not carrying out their responsibilities in an honest manner. Politicians will resort to any tactics to ensure that they do not become the darling of the masses through their people-centred works. This is what we have seen ever since we restored democracy. As long as such unholy and unethical practices on the part of the politicians thrive and continue, our dream of becoming a prosperous country—socially, economically, politically, and culturally—will remain an illusion.

While the country’s economy has been very sluggish, the attempts on the part of Ghishing to earn some foreign exchange by exporting electricity are truly commendable. The export of electricity to India and other countries will certainly help us to earn some foreign exchange and contribute to uplifting the country’s economy.

This is not the time to confront each other but to acknowledge each other’s work for the betterment of the nation.