After Executive Director Kulman Ghising questioned the legality of the committee formed by the government to investigate the bills issued by the authority, Energy Minister Khadka started to increase monitoring and control by establishing his own working room in the authority.

A new scene was seen at the central office of Nepal Electricity Authority on Wednesday. Executive Director Ghising's office was deserted as he went to inspect the flood-damaged Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project, but the upstairs was buzzing with activity.

Energy Minister Deepak Khadka visited the Authority, not for inspection or monitoring, but to appear in his own newly built office, for the first time in the history of the Electricity Authority, an office has been established for the ex-officio Chairman, Khadka went to the Authority on the first day and sat on the chair.

The minister was welcomed by the authority's deputy executive director Manoj Silwal. Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya and Ministry's energy expert Prabal Adhikari were also present in the said 'ceremony'. 

Deputy Executive Director of the Authority's Administration Directorate, Tularam Giri's office and Secretariat were removed and Minister Khadka's office was made. From putting up the 'nameplate' of ex-officio president Khadka to decorating the working room by painting it was done overnight. Joint Secretary Shambhu Prasad Marasini's team was deployed from the Ministry of Energy to form the minister's office in the authority. 

How did the minister who chaired the meeting of the board of directors have to sit directly in the office of the authority? In the background is the dedicated and trunk line tariff dispute. The minister and the authority's executive director are at odds over how to resolve this age-old dispute.

The executive director is going to collect the arrears despite cutting the line of the Ghising industry, while Minister Khadka has been questioning the validity of the bill given by the authority and arguing that it cannot be forced on the entrepreneur. In the last four and a half months, the minister has asked Executive Director Ghising for an explanation twice as the dispute gets complicated.

After the Council of Ministers and the Electricity Regulatory Commission instructed to connect the cut electricity, the lines have been connected recently. But the Ministry of Energy has formed a committee to investigate the bill issued by the Authority.

Similarly, the news that the Council of Ministers has formed a committee to investigate irregularities in the authority was also published. However, former judge Hariprasad Pokharel, the coordinator of the committee, has already informed that he will not sit in the committee for 'personal reasons'. 

The Minister says that the Authority has not provided all the details requested by the Ministry of Energy. Similarly, after Ghising questioned the constitution of the committee created by the government to investigate the bills issued by the authority, Energy Minister Khadka started to increase monitoring and control by establishing his office within the authority.

Minister Khadka says that the meeting of the board of directors is held at the authority and sometimes there is no place to sit when they arrive early or have to take a briefing. Starting to sit in the working room on Wednesday, he told the media, "When I come to the meeting of the authority, sometimes I come earlier than time." When should a briefing be taken? But there was no place to stay. That is why it is said to make a working room. They have made it.'

But the opposition has criticized the minister's move. Former Energy Minister Pampha Bhusal said that it is strange for the Minister of Energy and ex-officio Chairman of the Authority to have a working room in the Authority. "The practice of the minister holding a working room in the authority is new," she said. Bhusal says that since the executive director runs the authority and the departmental managing directors run the department, the minister is directly involved in the role of executive. 

Similarly, former administrator Kashiraj Dahal, who was also the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission at the time, says that anyone living in the state should not forget their official status and boundaries.

'A person like a minister has opened an office in the authority for some reason, he should go by himself, but my opinion is that a person who is in charge of the state should not forget his official status, dignity and limits,' Dahal said, 'A person who forgets the limits and moves ahead is a suitable person to hold the position. People are evaluating whether it is yes or not.''The Prime Minister and other ministers are also presidents and chancellors of various institutions, just as the chairman of the authority is the energy minister. The National Planning Commission and Investment Board of Nepal are chaired by the Prime Minister. But there is no separate office for the Prime Minister in the Board of Investment and the Planning Commission. Besides, the chancellor of 9 universities including Tribhuvan is also the prime minister. Even in those universities, there is no separate office for the Prime Minister.

What new thing happened to open an office after becoming the president?

Deepak Khadka

,

Minister , Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Why is there a situation where an office has to be opened in the authority and the minister has to go and stay? What do you mean, the minister is not the chairman of the authority? Meetings are held in the authority. Sometimes I arrive early. There was no standing. Sometimes they (authority officials) do not arrive on time. It has happened two or three times. 

Is it your intention that everyone will be alert when you have an office?

Rather than being cautious, they can tell you up front if they have problems while sitting there. If there is some issue before the board meeting, it can be discussed even if it is for 5/10 minutes. This decision was made in a positive manner. What's in it and so on? Why make such a commotion?

You did something to cause a commotion, didn't you? Where is the

mine alone? There is also tourism. Others have too.

When the executive director of the authority, Kulman Ghising, is not there, you have established an office, right?

Minister will not know where Kulman is.

Is the minister going to say that Kulman Ghising could not do a good job?

If he doesn't do a good job, he will be removed and another one will come. It is said that there is also a plan to remove

? If there was a plan to remove

, it would have been removed already. Can't be easily removed. Moreover, why remove it in four-five months?

If the prime minister is also the chancellor of the university, should the office of the prime minister be kept in the university as well?

If there are continuous meetings in the university, you will have to go. Don't just say negative things. Talking about stay or 'delivery'? Look at the work. What is the meaning of where he sat, what he ate?

What time do you stay in the ministry and what time in the authority?

I go when there is a board meeting. There are not always board meetings. Sometimes it goes ahead by itself. There is nothing to go and stand there. It is also necessary to take a 'brief' of work. Authority is where the main 'output' comes from. Information should be obtained. Some of the agenda of the meeting is also discussed quickly.