Maoists to further discuss hydropower issue

KATHMANDU, Sept 27: Barely five days after the Maoist´s Department of Water Resources and Energy demanded that the 14 hydropower projects to be constructed under foreign investment be halted, a top Maoist leader has said that the issue is yet to be taken up by the party.



Maoist Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said the party is yet to look into the report that has been prepared by the water resources and energy department of the party. “The report prepared by the energy department has been taken as a preliminary study,” Shrestha told Republica, adding, “The party is yet to go through it seriously.” [break]



Chief of the department, Lilamani Pokhrel on September 21 had said that the 14 hydropower projects must be shelved as they had received the government´s nod violating parliamentary procedures. He had further claimed that most of the projects were against national interests.



“We have not yet drawn a conclusion as to which of the hydropower projects among the 14 is against our national interests,” Shrestha said. He, however, maintained that those water resources-related treaties and agreement that are against “national interest” should either be abrogated or rectified.



The report had also claimed that the Maoists had to resort to such measures as most of the projects were export-oriented. It said that it would not be reasonable to export electricity when the people were bearing the brunt of acute power shortage. The report also argued that electricity was a sort of raw material and no country had become rich by exporting the raw materials.



“Though the issue primarily falls under the jurisdiction of the department, the party will discuss the report as it is a national issue,” he further clarified.



The department´s announcement has come at a time when the Ministry of Energy is holding marathon meetings with the investors of some mega projects like Upper Karnali (900 MW), Tamakoshi 3 ´A´ (880MW), Upper Marshyangdi (600 MW), Arun III (402 MW), Lower Arun (400 MW), Balefi (50 MW) and Likhu (34 MW) to sign the Project Development Agreements.



Government officials say the Maoist move may spoil investment climate which could have long-lasting adverse effects on the national economy.



Energy minister Prakash Sharan Mahat has accused the Maoists of trying to politicize the issue unnecessarily.

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