Kathmandu: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation appointed Devendra Karki and Mahendra Bahadur Gurung as board of directors of the Nepal Electricity Authority. Karki is former secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Gurung was the chief executive officer of Pancheshwar Development Authority.The government appointed Karki and Gurung in the two posts that went vacant after the ministry removed Bhakta Bahadur Pun and Kapil Acharya from the board of directors on August 2. Karki and Gurung were also appointed the same day.

Acharya and Pun were asked for written clarification on July 30 as they took a firm stand that the industries that didn’t pay the outstanding dues for using the electricity facility through dedicated and trunk lines should be cut and not be connected until they paid the dues.

Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka relieved both of them the day they submitted their clarification citing their answers were inadequate and not satisfactory.

They took a firm stand against resuming electricity supply to the industries despite Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s assurance to the industrialists that the public utility would resume the power supply to the industries despite the dues they owe to it.