Kathmandu, May 15: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has begun the process of selecting officials for vacant positions at the Electricity Regulatory Commission through open competition.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha formed a three-member recommendation committee through a ministerial decision on Wednesday to oversee the selection process.
The committee is coordinated by Ministry Secretary Chiranjeewee Chataut and includes Joint Secretary Sagar Raj Gautam and energy expert Satish Narayan Joshi as members.
According to the ministry, the committee will soon issue a public notice inviting applications for the posts of chairperson and four members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission, with a 15-day deadline for submissions.
The positions became vacant after the chairperson and four commission members were automatically relieved of their duties under the ordinance “Special Provision Relating to the Removal of Public Officials 2083,” leaving the commission without leadership.
As per the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, the recommendation committee must evaluate applications and recommend suitable candidates to the ministry within 21 days after the application deadline expires.
Meanwhile, the government has also appointed two new members to the Board of Directors of the Nepal Electricity Authority for a four-year term.
Anshu Kiran Shahi of Kathmandu Metropolitan City–15 has been appointed to represent the private sector, while Krishna Basel of Nagarjun Municipality–5 has been appointed as a consumer representative.
The ministry stated that this is likely the first time a member from the Dalit community has been included on the NEA board as a consumer representative.
In a separate decision, the NEA Board of Directors appointed Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha as Acting Managing Director of the authority.
The decision was taken during the NEA’s 1030th board meeting held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Minister Shrestha.
Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha has been associated with the authority for the past 29 years in both technical and managerial roles. He joined the Nepal Electricity Authority in 2054 BS as a seventh-level officer.
Minister Shrestha also administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed board members and the Acting Managing Director on Wednesday. #Nepal
