KATHMANDU: The newly appointed executive director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, has assumed office. Shrestha, appointed by a cabinet decision on Sept. 18, took charge of his duties at a program held at the authority’s central office.
Upon assuming his role, Shrestha identified post-flood reconstruction, improvement of service delivery, and increasing domestic electricity consumption as his top priorities. ‘The floods and landslides have caused significant damage to many of the authority’s structures, hydropower plants, and transmission line towers. This reconstruction work is both a major challenge and an opportunity for us,’ Shrestha said. ‘This cannot be overcome alone; I will move forward with the support of all employees and the team.’
Shrestha announced plans to decentralize the authority’s operations to make customer services more efficient and prompt. He stated that provincial and district-level offices would be empowered, ending the need for customers to visit the central office for minor tasks. ‘My goal is to end the situation where people have to come to the center for problems that can be solved at the provincial and district levels, and to provide faster service,’ he said.
Highlighting the challenge of balancing production and demand, Shrestha committed to working toward the government’s target of increasing per capita electricity consumption to 1,500 units by 2035. Current per capita consumption stands between 400 and 450 units. He emphasized the need for significant investment in distribution systems and transmission lines, noting that a financial modality would be prepared to facilitate this growth.
Shrestha, who has been with the authority since 1994, stated that he is well-acquainted with the institution’s challenges. Reflecting on his tenure as acting executive director, he noted that he performed his duties with full responsibility. He also highlighted the authority’s recent efforts during the disaster, noting that it provided logistical support to security forces for rescue operations and successfully restored power by repairing damaged structures.
