KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, has said that special attention should be paid to increasing power consumption by making the power supply system of Koshi Province more systematic, reliable and effective.

During a discussion with the chiefs, employees, public representatives and representatives of concerned bodies of Nepal Electricity Authority during his visit to Koshi Province today, he directed them to identify and immediately resolve the problems seen in power supply, address public grievances and concerns of the employees, according to Minister Shrestha’s secretariat.

In an interaction organized on the current status, achievements and future course of action of the power distribution system of the province, Minister Shrestha urged to develop a system to resolve problems in electricity supply as soon as they are noticed and to address complaints without delay. Timely information flow and effective complaint management would increase the trust of citizens.

Minister Shrestha emphasized that the creative plans and proposals put forward by the distribution center based on local needs and problems should be effectively carried forward through the provincial office.

Stating that the government has allocated sufficient budget for improving the transmission and distribution system in the current fiscal year, Minister Shrestha directed the NEA authorities to develop a plan for budget implementation and start it right from the beginning of the new fiscal year.

During the discussion, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Sarita Dawadi, said that significant results can be achieved in sustainable and quality power service delivery if targeted improvements are made in the distribution system.

Acting Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, said that the NEA should further raise the level of performance as the expectations of the citizens are high.

Deputy Executive Director of the NEA and Chief of the Distribution and Customer Service Directorate, Rajan Dhakal, said that although the province consumes high electricity in the industrial and domestic sectors, there is a possibility of further increasing electricity consumption in Koshi.

During the discussion, MPs representing Morang and Sunsari, Deepak Sah, Sirjana Shrestha, Rubina Acharya, and others suggested improving the electricity service flow as per the people’s expectations.

They emphasized the need to immediately address the problems related to electricity supply and infrastructure seen at the local level and provide easy, accessible, regular and reliable electricity services to the citizens.