On 6 June 2023, a strategic consultation meeting was organized at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning (MoEAP) in Surkhet, Karnali Province, with support from AEPC and NREP. The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Ms. Urmila Biswakarma, the Minister of Water Resources and Energy Development (MoWRED) of Karnali Province, focused on discussing key activities required to expedite the clean energy access of all households in Karnali Province. The event facilitated by Mr. Gopal Sharma, the senior divisional engineer of MoWRED, was a significant step towards planning for enhancing energy access in the province.
The consultation was attended by more than 35 stakeholders, including government officials. They includedthe Minister of MoPID, Minister of MoEAP, Principal Secretary of Karnali Province, Secretary of MoWRED, Secretary of MoPID, Secretary of MoEAP, Vice Chair of Karnali Province Planning Commission, other government officials, officials of local governments, Provincial Chief of NEA, representatives from AEPC, NREP, as well as other professionals and practitioners from the energy sector.
The discussions in the meeting focused on electricity access and various options for electrifying the upper Karnali region and rehabilitating non-functional Micro Hydropower (MHP) projects in the province. The dialogue highlighted the challenges associated with the demarcation of responsibilities between AEPC and NEA, which has resulted in delays in electrifying the upper Karnali areas. However, there was a keen interest from senior government officials to allocate financial resources in the budget for the needy projects.
To address the issues effectively, AEPC and NREP agreed to collaborate with the Provincial Government (PG) in developing a list of potential projects and prioritizing them for immediate interventions. Accordingly, respective ministries and AEPC agreed to focus on non-functional projects at Karnali province and intervene promptly.
Overall, the strategic consultation meeting was successful and is expected to serve as a milestone for integrated planning and development in the Karnali province.