Kathmandu, Nov 3: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said the cooperation and participation of locals is highly important while implementing any development project.
During his field inspection to Bhotkhola in Sankhuwasabha, the project site of the Upper Arun Hydro Power Project on Friday, the Minister stressed that locals should get the maximum benefits from the project. “This aspect would be kept in mind while implementing the project.”
The run-of-river project with optimized generating capacity of 1061-megawatt has reached the implementation phase, it is said. “This project holds a high significance for the Sankhuwasabha folks, and now it will be implemented,” the Minister added.
He further pledged that the project would not see a budget constraint. The resources for it would be secured under any circumstances. Issues caused by the project here will be resolved and locals will have their fair stake in the project’s shares.
Mahat viewed the project would help improve the living standard of the Sankhuwasabha folks and the government would ensue the local’s socio-economic participation in it.
A delegation comprising Minister Mahat, Minister for Energy, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and the World Bank representatives reached Bhotokhola.
According to him, the World Bank has expressed its interest in the project investment.
The Nepal Electricity Authority is the implementing body of the Project and its estimated cost is over 2.026 billion.
