Government Forms Taskforce to Address Issues in Energy and Environment Projects

The government has established a seven-member taskforce to identify and address issues related to forest, environment, and land acquisition encountered during the development of projects under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. This decision was made during a meeting attended by key government officials, including Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Dipak Khadka, Minister for Forest and Environment Yin Bahadur Shahi, State Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Purna Bahadur Tamang, and State Minister for Forest and Environment Rupa Bishwakarma.

The taskforce will be led by Suresh Acharya, Secretary at the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat. Other members include Joint Secretaries Sushil Chandra Acharya and Indira Dahal from the Department of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal and Meghnath Kafle from the Ministry of Forest and Environment, and Nabin Raj Singh, Director General of the Department of Electricity. Joint Secretary Kalanidhi Paudyal from the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat has been appointed as the member-secretary of the taskforce.

The primary objective of the taskforce is to provide recommendations to resolve issues related to policy, legal frameworks, and procedural challenges. They have been given a 25-day deadline to submit their report.

Currently, projects under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation are facing significant challenges due to the absence of a specific legal basis for acquiring unregistered and uncultivated Eilani land, assessing land value and compensation, clearing forest land, and other related issues. The formation of this taskforce is a step towards addressing these obstacles and ensuring smoother project implementation.