Gislesen gave the asset handover certificate to Narayan Dhoj Khadka, the chairperson of KREC. The ownership of Jhankre community hydropower plant and all its accessories, high voltage 11kV and low voltage 400 V and 220 V transmission and distribution network, land, buildings constructed under JREDP II to be handed over as per HPL´s lender covenants, office equipments and furniture were given to the KREC. After receiving the asset handover certificate, Khadka told myrepublica.com,"We have now been the owner of the small power project." [break]
Electricity can turn the lives of people from poverty to prosperity. Gislesen showed his commitment to help hydropower projects as this can play a big role in economic development of the country.
Nadia Sood, Chairperson of HPL, said this kind of model is important for long term sustainability and said,"We are very very proud to transfer the assets to the community and this is the historic day."
Jorn Sorense, Deputy Country Director of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said since the UNDP is involved in community mobilization programs, the model of KREC will be adopted in other programs and projects as well. He said, "This is a good example of private-public partnership."
In the handover ceremony, Tom E Solberg, General Manager of HPL, said the benefit of KREC would reach over 40,000 people in the vicinity of the Khimti I project area. According to him, the KREC is the first fully independent, democratically operated and locally managed rural electric cooperative in the country.
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