Your story 'People power' and the profile of Damber Nepali (Nepali Times, #166) highlighted the way forward for power projects in Nepal. We need people like Nepali in every arena of our national life. Although your story was all praises for Chilime-and it is praiseworthy in many aspects-I felt the project was undermined by many conflict of interest situations: NEA resources were used to identify a good site that was kept secret, NEA employees built the power project and then had an agreement with the national authority to sell power at a higher price than other such projects. Whose best interests are being served here, NEA or the nation? Your story also made it obvious that NEA, which supplies the most expensive electricity in the world, is the real obstacle in the development of hydropower in Nepal. This resource is too important for it to be held hostage by one organisation. Learning lessons from the recent great power outage in the US, Nepal should open development and distribution of electricity to competition and permit independent players in the field. This will benefit us all.

Rajendra Khadga,
Lazimpat