Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka has said that it is necessary to develop the energy sector in the country with the mutual support of the government and the private sector.

On the occasion of the 39th anniversary of Nepal Electricity Authority on Saturday, Minister Khadka said that it is necessary to make the country prosperous by developing the energy sector through mutual cooperation and coordination between the government and private sectors by making maximum use of the water resources available throughout the country.

He informed that Nepal’s total power generation capacity has reached 3,200 megawatts and in the last financial year only about 463 megawatts were added to the national grid.

Minister Khadka said that it is necessary for the related agencies to work more effectively to achieve the goal of producing 28,000 megawatts of electricity by 2035.

Minister Khadka said that if the target set by the government can be fulfilled, sufficient energy consumption can be increased in the country, industrialization will be developed and sufficient employment will be created, and the opportunity to earn foreign currency in sufficient amount from domestic energy export will be available.

“Although Nepal Electricty Authority (NEA) has been making good progress in the field of electricity generation, transmission and distribution in recent times, it is seen that the authority has to work responsibly to provide regular and quality electricity service to the common consumers and provide services to the people quickly without any hassle,” Minister Khadka said.

He has built an industrial corridor within the country to provide electricity to the capacity required by the industrialists and businessmen of the region, to provide electricity service to all remote homes within 2082 years, to export the excess energy that is not consumed in the country to neighboring countries, and to create policy and structural policies to ensure maximum energy consumption and trade. And he expressed his belief that the necessary support and coordination of the Ministry will be provided to arrange the legal system.

Minister Khadka believes that it will take the entire team of the authority to make the next year a more successful year for the development of the energy sector.

He mentioned that in the future, the authority will take initiative to build a suitable project with the policy of energy mix in mind, and especially to build a hydropower project with large reservoirs.

Minister Khadka mentioned that the authority’s contribution to the development of Nepal’s energy sector through cheap and reliable electricity service throughout the country is appreciable and expressed the commitment of the government to always support the authority in achieving its goals.

Source: Spotlight