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Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project Of 456 MW
By KTM Metro Reporter
May 19, 2011: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has laid the foundation stone of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project of 456 MW in Lamabagar of the Dolakha District yesterday at the cost of Rs 3 million. This amount spent on the foundation-laying ceremony is considered to be the first wastage of the total estimated project cost of Rs 35.29 billion. This is not an auspicious sign of the project implementation.
Out of the total project cost of Rs 35.29 billions, several agencies has committed to provided to the tune of Rs 31.08 billions. The government of Nepal has committed to provide Rs 11.08 billion, State Employees’ Provident Fund Rs 10 billions, Nepal Telecom Rs 6 billions, Citizen Investment Fund and National Insurance Corporation Rs 2 billion each.
The estimated year of completion of the project is 2015.
The project has made a contract with the Nepal Electricity Authority to sell the power at Rs 4.06 per kilowatt unit, ‘Gorkhapatra’ of May 19, 2011 writes.
First of all, the four-year-project-completion target is very ambitious one. Never before has completed such large project in the targeted period, and never before has completed such projects without cost overrun. So, the cost of the project might be the double of the current estimated cost if we follow the history of the project completion. Cost overrun and time overrun in the past had been entirely due to the malpractices in the project implementation. The history might surely repeat in view of the tendency of the current deputy prime minister holding the portfolio of ministry of finance to make money out of any possible means.
For example, we have multi-billion-rupee projects such as Melamchi Drinking Water that is supposed to provide the Kathmandu Valley with more than enough water, and the Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road that is supposed to cut short the distance and travel time to Hetauda that have been lying idle for several years. We hope that the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project will not meet the same fate.
Instead of building smaller projects for the immediate relief of the severe power shortage, the current government has launched a large project at the huge cost means Nepalis might need to live in darkness for many years to come, as we don’t believe that the current government with the intention of making money out of any possible means will complete such a large project without making a huge money for the members of this government.
