NEA postpones release of white paper citing technical reasons

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has postponed the scheduled release of its much-anticipated white paper, originally set for Tuesday, citing technical issues.

According to the secretariat of NEA Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya, the document was set to be unveiled at 11:30 AM on Tuesday.

However, the program was abruptly postponed due to unspecified technical reasons.

The secretariat noted that the release has been deferred until further notice.

The white paper had already been approved on Monday by the NEA Board of Directors, chaired by Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka.

A board member stated that all statistical details had been finalized, and the event had been scheduled accordingly.

The document reportedly includes revised figures that contrast sharply with those shared under former Executive Director Kulman Ghising, who had claimed that the country had achieved 99 percent electrification. In contrast, the new white paper cites the national electrification rate at 91.41 percent.

Additionally, the white paper records a total of 5,586,037 NEA customers as of mid-January 2025 (Magh 2081), while Ghising had stated the number had reached 5,935,000, including community electrification.

“The white paper was all set to be released on Tuesday,” said the board member. “However, discrepancies in data, particularly on electrification coverage and household access, required revisions as per the board’s earlier instructions.”

NEA spokesperson Rajbhai Shilpakar confirmed that further directives from Tuesday’s board meeting necessitated additional adjustments, leading to the delay. “New directions have been issued by the board, and we must update the draft white paper accordingly,” he said.

The NEA has not announced a new date for the release.