By Our Reporter
A Group comprised of political leaders, water resources experts, social workers, former bureaucrats has demanded to scrap the deal with Indian company GMR from construction of the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project. The company is occupying the project for last 11 years.
They have demanded the Nepal government to construct the project by itself.
CPN politburo member Dambar Shrestha, vice chairman of the National People’s Front Durga Poudel, former ambassador Hiranyalal Shrestha, campaigner of the Save Upper Karnali Bharat Bahadur Shahi,
Former minister and water resources expert Deepak Gyawali, former secretary at the Water Resources Ministry Dr Dwarikanath Dhungel, CPN Revolutionary Maoist’s Rajbahadur Kunwar, former chief of Nepal Electricity Authority Santa Bahadur Pun, water resources expert Ratan Bhandari, CPN ML’s Shankar Pokhrel and Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party’s Hastabahadur Kunwar have signed the petition.
It is stated that GMR, while signing the agreement on 19 September, 2014, had expressed the commitment for managing necessary fund within two years. Since then, for two times, the government has extended the tenure for two times to manage investment. GMR, in the extended period also, has not been able to manage investment for the project and again, is trying to extend the tenure further.
It is believed that GMR is a bankrupt company and it is planning to sale the license to any other company. To recall, GMR, which was holding the license of 600 MW Upper Marsyangdi Project, of late, it has sold the project to a Chinese company.
Therefore, the government should scrap the deal with GMR, the concerned group has demanded.
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