Nepal Maoists order Indian company to stop work on power project

Continuing its anti-India tirade, Nepal’s main opposition party—the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has asked an Indian firm to stop work on the 300 MW Upper Karnali hydro-power project.

The party has asked GMR-ITD Consortium, a branch of GMR Energy, to stop work on the project located in the area bordering Surkhet, Accham and Dailekh districts stating that it was not in Nepal’s favour.

In a press conference at Surkhet on Monday, UCPN (M) politburo member Khadka Bahadur Biswakarma stated that the decision to halt work on the project was taken as per central policy of the party.

“Upper Karnali is an important property of Nepal. We intervened to close work on the project as only foreigners will benefit from it,” Biswakarma told media persons.

The project was handed over to the Indian firm in January 2008 and nearly 80 percent work on it is over. Once completed, Nepal will get 12 per cent of power generated by the project free of cost.

Maoists in Nepal have just concluded their national awakening campaign, which witnessed many of its leaders including chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda blaming India for most ills besieging the country.