My Republica

Rudra Pangeni

Pangeni is an investigative journalist currently with CIJ Nepal.
news@myrepublica.com

IBN for awarding Tamakoshi III through international bidding

Published On: February 11, 2017 01:00 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Investment Board Nepal (IBN) has proposed to launch an international bidding for Tamakoshi III Hydropower Project.

NEA revenue up by 32 percent

Published On: February 8, 2017 09:40 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Feb 8: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) mobilized Rs 18.28 billion revenue from sale of electricity in the first five months of the current fiscal year, 32 percent more than what it had mobilized in the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

‘Incompetent’ KUKL board chair to remain in power

Published On: February 4, 2017 08:54 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Feb 4: A board meeting of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Ltd (KUKL) held on Wednesday has agreed on mediation on a court case filed by its chairman Suresh Basnet, allowing Basnet to remains as chair.

Migrant laborers from Western Nepal throng quake-hit districts (with video)

Published On: February 1, 2017 07:34 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

SINDHUPALCHOWK, Feb 1: More than 200 laborers and technicians from Nepal’s southern and more western districts of Banke and Jajarkot have flooded into quake-hit districts to rebuild houses. Some of those laborers interviewed in Sindhupalchowk report that they earn more in Nepal than they would working in the populous state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Rebuilding Sindhuli houses could take more than a century (with video)

Published On: February 1, 2017 03:54 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

SINDHULI, Jan 31: When he received the first installment of the reconstruction grant in September, Jhamka Bahadur Thapa planned on moving into a new, warm house before winter arrived. He, his wife, and four-year-old daughter have been living in a makeshift shelter of corrugated metal sheets since the April 2015 earthquake. His daughter often sneezes from frequent colds, made worse by the damp that seeps through the roof and soaks all their belongings.

PAC wants Ncell barred from going 4G until capital gains tax cleared

Published On: January 25, 2017 07:28 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 25: Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed the government to restrict Ncell from  introducing its 4G wireless internet service without first clearing the capital gains tax (CGT) on a share transaction  worth Rs 143 billion.

Bheri Babai could see budget cut to fund petty projects

Published On: January 24, 2017 10:13 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Ministry of Irrigation is preparing to transfer the budget allocated for Bheri Babai Diversion Multi Purpose Project to fund petty projects in election constituencies of home and irrigation ministers in Dhanusha and Dang, respectively, officials privy to the issue say.

12 NEA staffers held for tampering electricity meters

Published On: January 23, 2017 07:30 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 23: The Metropolitan Police Crime Division has arrested 12 employees of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) including two retired officers on the charge of tampering electricity meters at factories and businesses and issuing lower electricity bills in exchange for kickbacks. The arrested are meter readers and technicians and they were found tampering electricity meters of big electricity consumers.

Chinese private firm makes debut in Nepali hydropower sector

Published On: January 23, 2017 12:40 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 23: A Chinese private firm has bagged two major contracts to build hydropower plants in Nepal. This is the first time that a private Chinese firm has entered into the Nepali hydropower sector, according to government officials and the company which hired the firm.

About Rs 31 billion spent on Melamchi Project

Published On: January 21, 2017 10:01 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 21: The government has so far spent Rs 30.93 billion to bring water from the Melamchi water to the Kathmandu Valley and plans to spend Rs 30 billion more on it by 2020. The additional amount includes the laying of pipeline for the distribution system.

Minister Lekhak on inauguration spree

Published On: January 14, 2017 12:50 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 14: The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) has been able to spend less than 20 percent of the Rs 55.96 billion allocated for building roads and bridges in the first five months of the current fiscal year. But the minister for physical infrastructure and transport, Ramesh Lekhak, does not appear serious about expediting the roads and bridges projects, instead, he is busy making trips to lay foundations stones for roads and bridges in different districts, mostly in the tarai.

KUKL has Rs 2.12 billion to recover from customers

Published On: January 12, 2017 08:30 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 12: Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited has outstanding dues worth Rs 2.12 billion to collect from its monthly billed customers.

Govt promises 17 percent returns on equity investment

Published On: January 10, 2017 08:15 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 10: Investors of hydropower projects in Nepal can earn a maximum 17 percent return on equity investments.

Ministry 'leaked' info to hydro developers

Published On: January 5, 2017 05:30 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 5: Minister for Energy Janardan Sharma endorsed directives at midday Wednesday, opening license applications for over 150 hydropower projects in 'government reserves'. But the information had already been leaked to some hydropower developers, it has come to light.

2017 to see record hydropower generation

Published On: January 4, 2017 10:36 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Jan 4: The year 2017 will set a record in power generation, people invoved in the hydropower sector say.

Why it took 23 years to dig 22 km tunnel

Published On: December 31, 2016 02:56 PM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Dec 31: Some 23 years ago, Late Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai promised a by-election rally in Kathmandu that water from the Melamchi River would flow in the capital.

Govt signs PDA with Upper Trishuli-1

Published On: December 30, 2016 06:00 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Dec 29: The government has signed Project Development Agreement (PDA) with a consortium led by a South Korean government undertaking to build Upper Trishuli-I (216 MW) hydropower project.

Major tunnel 'breakthrough' in Melamchi project

Published On: December 29, 2016 01:01 PM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Dec 29: Tunnel work in the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) had a major breakthrough on Wednesday and officials said it's a milestone toward bringing Melamchi water to the capital city.

Melamchi pipeline may not sustain earthquakes of higher intensity: Report

Published On: December 28, 2016 01:20 PM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Dec 28: Pipelines being laid down in the Kathmandu Valley to distribute water from Melamchi to consumers may be vulnerable to earthquakes of intensity greater than that of 2015 quakes, a report shows.

Central region highest in hydropower royalties

Published On: December 26, 2016 10:50 AM NPT By: Rudra Pangeni

KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Among the five development regions in the country, the central development region is the largest royalty recipient from the hydroelectricity projects in last six years, the royalty distribution database at the Department of Electricity Development shows.