October 19: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet has directed Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to ensure regular power supply during the festivals of Dashain, Tihar, Nepal Sambat, Chhath and others so that the celebrations would not be hampered.    
The minister called the NEA executive director Kulman Ghising, deputy executive director Manoj Silwal and chief of the NEA's load-dispatch centre Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai to his office in Singha Durbar and directed them as well as the chiefs of the NEA's distribution centres within the Kathmandu Valley to make arrangements so that the citizens will get smooth power supply, giving no room for any complaint from a single house.    
"Become responsible and active for 24 hours, so that there is no room for public complaint. A few minutes in disruption of power supply during the festival period spoils the good work you have been doing throughout the year," Minister Basnet said.    
He directed NEA to distribute maximum power to the industries and enterprises during the festival time, and also suggested to create condition that the excess power is also not wasted.    
The Energy Minister urged NEA to make its no-light centres more responsible, to make arrangement for receiving the phone calls from customers promptly and to manage rapid team for reaching the consumer's house within minutes in case of any problem.    
Minister Basnet is also the chairperson of the NEA Board of Directors.    
On the occasion, Energy Secretary Gopal Sigdel directed the NEA executive director and other officials to provide services keeping the consumers in the centre.    
Executive Director Ghising informed that human resources have been managed and will be mobilized in the Valley and urban areas to be mobilized round-the-clock. He said that he will be out regularly monitoring and inspecting the distribution centres during the festive season, so that there will be no complaints from consumers.    
"We have made efforts as far as possible to prevent wastage of power. Preparations have also been made to supply the excess power to the Indian market, but the final consent has not been received yet (from the Indian side)," he said. -- RSS