An extravagant farewell ceremony for outgoing energy minister Mahat

There is no light in the country — 84 hours a week — but outgoing energy minister Prakash Sharan Mahat today was ravished with delight, second time in a week, to grace a farewell party today organised by Nepal Electricity Authority.

The outgoing minister, who received a farewell party at the ministry on Sunday, graced yet another function organised by NEA today at a five-star hotel in the Capital, where who’s who of the power-strapped electricity authority were present. According to NEA sources, this is the first time in the history of ministry that a minister, who has fallen out of power, was given such an extravagant party. NEA, the state-owned electricity utility, which is already in the red with losses up to Rs 19 billion, bore all the cost of the party.

Officials at the ministry said they were shocked when they received invitation, as it was not the tradition in past. By afternoon, high-level officials, including the secretary at the ministry of energy, too received an invitation call. “A farewell is a routine event but this is the first time in my 30 years with NEA that an outgoing minister is receiving a five-star treatment,” said an NEA official, who was also present at the party.

According to the hotel staff, the booking was done in the name of Madhya-Marshyangdi Hydro-Project, the second largest hydel in operatio.

NEA Managing Director Jivendra Jha is said to be the mastermind of the extravagant event. Jha, however, was not available for comment. Revenue Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota, Energy Secretary Shital Babu Regmee, Director General of Department of Electricity Development, board members of NEA and 30 other high-level officials from the ministry and NEA were present at the party.

A driver waiting at the parking lot took a pot shot saying, “People are facing 14 hours of outage every day and they are bleeding NEA white by organising such gala programmes.”

According to sources, Mahat thanked NEA board members for the cooperation that he received during his tenure. NEA MD presented Mahat a Budhha’s figurine and the party continued with cocktail flowing and dinner served.