Dec 22, 2006

Encounter

- Gyanendra Bahadur Karki

Even as the country braces for a new constitution through a constituent assembly next year, the constitution of 1990 has almost been made defunct. This has been more so after the recent declaration of the parliament. A major casualty of these developments has been a provision that required a two-third parliamentary majority for the ratification of key treaties with the foreign governments on natural resources including water resources. Against this backdrop, NAVIN SINGH KHADKA of the BBC Nepali Service spoke to the minister of state for water resources, GYANENDRA BAHADUR KARKI. Excerpts of the interview broadcast on December 13, 2006:

Just when all eyes are on political issues, your ministry is said to be quickly moving the files of new hydropower projects that foreign companies including those from India wish to build. Why?

Yes, it is true. Considering the interest of some foreign companies including those from India in building the Arun III, Upper Karnali and Budhi Gandaki hydropower projects, we have indeed speeded up the process.

But there are concerns that the process is not transparent because you have formed a committee in your ministry that will have the final say.

I don't know why such concerns are being raised. We have been working on this quite transparently and in an accountable manner. I believe the time has come for us to do something and that is what we are focused on.

Or is it because of a provision in the recently promulgated regulation of the House of Representatives that has delegated you the authority and you are keen on using it at the earliest?

I am among those who believe that our water resources should be utilized for the prosperity of the country. Apart from abiding by rules and regulations, we also need to have national consensus to implement these projects. There can be no better time than the present one for such consensus. On the basis of the recommendation of the task force that I have formed in the ministry, we will select the foreign companies to build these projects and they will be presented at the cabinet for final approval.

That is exactly what your critics have problem with. They say in absence of discussion in the parliament, there could be hanky panky in the entire process.

There will be no hanky panky. I am convinced that this will open up an avenue for economic prosperity. The electricity regulation has made it easy for investors to come in and I believe it has to be that way.

But I was pointing at House of Representatives regulation that leaves these projects at your discretion. Unlike the 1990 constitution that required the majority of the House to approve such projects, all that is needed now is your nod without a national debate.

The cabinet itself is made up of seven parties and we have the parliament as well. No one will do anything that is against national interest. I cannot even think of harming the national interest. That is why this is the right time ...

In that case, why has there been no discussion in the parliament and parliamentary committees about such big hydropower projects that are billed as Nepal's economic future?

Whenever there is a need for such discussion, it will be done and I am ever ready.

But you seem to be in a hurry to exercise the authority delegated to you by the HoR regulation before the promulgation of the interim constitution. Is it because the interim constitution will have the same provision as that of the 1990 constitution requiring mandatory approval of the majority of the house?

There is no question of hurry. We have to go ahead with all these without wasting time.

Do you mean discussing these things in the parliament will delay the process you have initiated?

We are answerable to the Parliament. The seven party government represents the people's aspirations. The Maoists will soon be joining the government, meaning that it will be a government of national consensus. The council of ministers is answerable to the Parliament and whatever the cabinet does, it will be in national interest.

So when do you think the projects that you have mentioned (Arun III, Upper Karnali and Budhi Gandaki) will be commissioned for construction?

We hope to do so within two to three months.

And if you do so before the interim constitution is issued, will the nation not be taking a big risk? Because of the House of Representatives regulation, the entire decision will be taken by you and the selected bureaucrats at your ministry.

If we are not able generate at least 5,000 MW in the next 10 years, the water resources that we so much talk about will prove to be meaningless.

That means whichever party you and your staff choose for the construction of these big projects will get the license.

That is how things will be done initially and will finally be decided by the cabinet.

Once again I would ask - why will this not be discussed in the Parliament?

It is for the cabinet to decide.

Earlier, any projects related to the natural resources of the country invoked article 126 of the constitution that required the approval of the two-third majority of the House. But that is no more the case because the HoR regulation has virtually made you the final authority. Does that not mean these projects could meet the fate of West Seti hydropower project whose license has been with an Australian company for almost 10 years now and it is not moving anywhere?

We will take that as a lesson. We will first provide license to the parties that fall well within our criteria. The license of any party unable to go ahead with the project will be cancelled.

So you are not going to change that controversial provision of the HoR regulation. You will take the decision all by yourself and there will be no discussion in the Parliament.

We will move ahead on the basis of the authority delegated to us. We are for bringing in these projects to open up economic avenues in the country.

Why are you after these long term projects while the immediate pressing problem is load shedding? You seem to be doing nothing about it.

Load shedding is our compulsion. This problem will keep on compounding in the days to come. If we do not go for new projects, resolving the load shedding problem will only be lofty talks.