Energy Minister Shrestha replies in parliament that all expectations cannot be fulfilled in a single budget.

Kathmandu. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha responded to the queries raised by lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Expressing the expectation of more creative suggestions from the lawmakers, he stressed the need for economic, social and educational progress of the country through the development of energy and water resources and easy irrigation facilities. According to him, the views were expressed with the pious purpose of improving the living standard of the citizens and ensuring that all could get opportunities in a coordinated manner.

On the occasion, Minister Shrestha admitted that electricity access to all citizens has not been ensured even after 115 years of hydropower development in the country with huge potentiality of hydropower. “Nepal is still in a weak position compared to its neighbors in terms of sustainable and clean energy supply as well as energy consumption,” he said.

He said, “We are hopeful that there will be more creative and suggestions from the hon. The development of energy and water resources, and easy irrigation facilities should lead to economic, social and educational progress of the country.

We understand that these are voices expressed with a pious intention to improve the living standards of citizens and ensure that everyone has access to opportunities in a coordinated manner. It is natural for the dignitaries to be concerned about the energy and water resources sector. In a country with immense resources of water resources, even after 115 years of the use of hydropower, we have not been able to provide 100 percent access to electricity. ’

Stating that fluctuations in weather due to climate change have added challenge to the agriculture sector, he said the government has positively taken the demand for adequate irrigation facilities.

“Not only in terms of sustainable and clean energy supply, but also in terms of energy consumption, we are still vulnerable compared to our neighbors,” he said. Climate change has added challenges to agriculture, which is the main source of income for the people.

In this situation, we have taken the expectation of adequate irrigation facilities positively. However, it is challenging for us to maintain a balance in resource mobilization as per the people’s expectations between limited resources and the responsibility of fulfilling past obligations. All expectations cannot be met at once with a single budget. Through this budget, we have established the energy sector as the main basis for economic transformation. ’

He, however, said that it was challenging to maintain a balance in resource mobilization between limited resources, payment of old liabilities and people’s expectations. Stating that all expectations could not be met in one budget at once, he said that the budget has established energy sector as the main basis of economic transformation.