Energy ministry seeks seven-day clarification from Ghising

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has sought clarification from Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Executive Director Kul Man Singh, citing multiple instances of non-compliance with directives and failure to meet performance agreement obligations.

Sending a letter on Monday, the ministry asked Ghising to submit clarification within seven days on why he she should not be terminated from service.

Ghising, who has been credited with ending decade-long power cuts during his first term, was appointed for a second four-year term on 11 Aug 2021 by the coalition government of Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center). However, his relation with the government started deteriorating when a new coalition government of NC and UML assumed office. The dispute over outstanding dues from dedicated and trunk consumers further aggravated the situation.

The ministry has said in the letter that Ghising denied the ministry detailed information about alleged irregularities in transformer procurement. Despite being given a deadline, Singh submitted only partial details, which, according to the ministry, were incomplete, vague and divergent from the requested information.

The letter also states that Ghising’s ‘note of dissent’, recorded on a decision taken by the NEA board meeting regarding the dedicated feeder and trunk line tariff dispute, demonstrates disobedience to government directives and violates Section 25 of the Nepal Electricity Authority Act.

The ministry has also accused Ghising of not submitting performance evaluation details within the stipulated time frame. “You were required to submit the total score of performance evaluation to the Board of Directors of NEA, and according to Clause 8.6 of the agreement, the evaluation should have been conducted based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for works completed under Key Performance Areas (KPAs). However, you have failed to comply with the agreement by not submitting the required details even after 112 days have elapsed since the mid-August,” the letter states.

The Ministry has also expressed concern over Singh's conduct during board meetings, describing it as ‘uncooperative’. The ministry has termed his behavior as “unprofessional and unsuitable for the head of a government agency”.

“You have acknowledged in writing that you would coordinate with the Ministry and provide the required details promptly. However, as this has not been done, your evaluation cannot proceed under Clause 10.3 of the agreement. Therefore, you are asked to clarify why your appointment should not be terminated under the same clause,” the letter sent to Ghising states.