Speaking at the 35th annual day function of Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Mahat said, “How the center, state or locals will benefit and who will get what share of the hydro projects will be guaranteed by the constitution,” adding, “It is against the interest of the country to chase away investors to fulfill petty party interests.” [break]
Stating that “people want development,” Mahat said, “There is no reason why development in water resource sector must be halted as it is the only sector which can raise the financial status of the people in general and the country at large.”
The UCPN (Maoist) was in the then coalition government when the Upper Karnali contract was granted to Indian company GMR on January 25, 2008.
Mahat also stressed the need to solve all existing political problems through ´dialogue and consensus´. “We need to believe in ourselves and not be afraid of foreign investors. We must stop doubting that the investors would rob us,” the minister added.
He also stressed that alternative sources of energy like solar and wind power should be tapped in besides the water resources to tackle the prevalent problem of load-shedding.
Minister for Irrigation, Bal Krishna Khand expressed his ministry´s support to WECS´s activities and stated that it should work as a full-time think tank.
Other speakers in the program included State Minister for Energy Chandra Singh Bhattarai, NC chief whip Laxman Ghimire and former minister Mohan Bahadur Karki, among others.
Kishor Thapa, the secretary of WECS, laid emphasis on the need for a separate water accounting system, which would help to economize water.
WECS, which was established in 1975 with the objective of developing water and energy resources in an “integrated and accelerated manner, has now demanded an independent status.
“WECS needs independence as it is currently squashed between the energy and irrigation ministries,” a WECS official told myrepublica.com after the event.
WECS authorities have also demanded the government to shift the commission´s office from Singha Durbar to somewhere else.
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