Khadga Bahadur Bisht picked as ED to implement MCC projects

KATHMANDU, Jan 9: Khadga Bahadur Bisht has been selected as executive director of Millennium Challenge Account-Nepal (MCA-Nepal). The meeting of Board of Directors of MCA-Nepal took the decision.

MCA-Nepal is executing a 400 KV transmission line project as well as maintenance and upgradation of half a dozen strategic road projects with grant from the US government.

Bisht was selected by a selection committee formed by MCA-Nepal’s Board of Directors to implement transmission line projects and road maintenance projects, according to a press release issued by Semanta Dahal, legal advisor to MCA-Nepal, on Tuesday.

Bisht has more than 25 years of experience in leadership positions mainly in infrastructure and power sectors, the board has said. He has been appointed for a three-year term as per Millennium Challenge Account-Nepal Development Board Formation Order 2018. Bisht will assume office soon. Most recently, he served as plant manager and chief of stakeholder management/government relations for Himal Power Limited’s Khimti I Hydropower Project.

Bisht is also a former president and founding member of Independent Power Producers Association Nepal.

Bisht will be responsible to execute electricity transmission project and a roads maintenance project with combined budgets totaling $630 million, including $500 million in MCC funding and $130 million pledged by the Government of Nepal, according to MCA-Nepal. The project implementation of the compact fund is expected to start from September 2019 with a fixed deadline of five years.

MCA-Nepal plans to build a 305-kilometer 400 KV cross-border transmission line from Lapsiphedi, Kathmandu, to Sunwal, Nawalparasi via Ratmate-Naubise-Damauli further augmented by an interconnection to the transmission network to Gorakhpur, India, in order to enhance regional energy trade and improve availability and reliability of electricity in Nepal.

The government has also designated the project, including three substations, as project of national pride.

Talking to Republica, Bisht said that these two projects are important for the country for both electricity distribution and cross-border energy trading and bringing in new technologies in strengthening strategic roads. The transmission line project will connect electricity produced in three river basins – Koshi Corridor, Marshyangdi Corridor and Gandaki Corridor – as well as connect supply system to Gorakhapur, India, for exporting surplus energy. “The country can make a huge leap in energy development with the successful implementation of this transmission line project,” Bisht said.

The Bharatpur-Lothar section of the East-West Highway will hopefully have a smoother road to move on after completion of road maintenance in a pilot project. Upgradation works are expected to begin in May. The project will be embracing two new technologies – full depth recycling with soil cement stabilization and super pave asphalt.

The Office of MCA-Nepal plans to invest $52 million in road upgradation projects, including Chaarali-Phidim (130 km), Dharan-Basantapur (88 km), Kadamaha (of Lahan) to Gaighat (26 km), Hetauda-Bhaise-Bhimphedi (22 km), and Amelia-Tulsipur (38 km), using the latest technologies.