Kulman Ghising, recently dismissed as the Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has openly condemned growing political interference in the country’s civil service and hinted at a potential foray into politics.
In his first public statement since his ouster on March 24—four months before the end of his tenure—Ghising on Friday, April 4, criticized the government, led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, for what he described as a politically motivated decision.
Read: SC Refuses Interim Order in Writs Filed by Ghising, Shakya
In a move laced with irony, the government replaced Ghising with Hitendra Dev Shakya—the very official removed in 2021 to clear the way for Ghising’s second term.
“Such arbitrary decisions demoralize dedicated civil servants,” Ghising said. Still, he maintained that his commitment to public service remains unwavering. “As a responsible citizen, I am ready to serve wherever my service is needed for the nation,” he added, fueling speculation that a political career may be on the horizon.
Ghising’s dismissal followed long-simmering tensions with Prime Minister Oli and Energy Minister Deepak Khadka. At the heart of the conflict was NEA’s effort to recover electricity dues from industrial consumers who had used dedicated feeders and trunk lines during the era of chronic load-shedding.
Read: Government Sacks Kulman Ghising as NEA Chief to Reinstate Hitendra Dev Shakya
Energy Minister Khadka had issued repeated calls for clarification regarding Ghising’s handling of the issue. In his fifth written response in January, Ghising questioned why his previous explanations were deemed inadequate and reiterated that he was simply enforcing the law.
On Friday, Ghising delivered a detailed summary of his tenure, defending his leadership and accusing Khadka of undermining NEA’s institutional goals by shielding influential defaulters. “Efforts to make Nepal self-reliant in energy were obstructed,” he said. “I was interrogated not for any wrongdoing, but for refusing to serve personal interests over the law.”
Widely hailed for ending Nepal’s crippling power outages, Ghising is credited with steering the NEA through a transformational period. During his leadership, Nepal officially ended load-shedding for residential consumers in 2017 and for industries the following year.
However, many industrialsists have repeatedly accused NEA of imposing undeclared load-shedding over the years.
He previously served as NEA's chief from 2016 to 2020 and was reappointed in 2021 for a second term.
Ghising said he was dismissed the day after requesting the Electricity Regulatory Commission’s approval to disconnect supply to non-paying industrial consumers.
“That same evening, the Cabinet decided to remove me,” he revealed. “When I chose to uphold the law rather than yield to political pressure, I became a target.”
Ghising further alleged that there had been deliberate efforts to damage his reputation and derail NEA’s strategic direction through bureaucratic interference and misinformation. He pointed to attempted obstructions of major hydropower projects like Upper Arun—considered a cornerstone of Nepal’s long-term energy vision—as evidence of political sabotage.
However, Ghising emphasized that NEA’s progress was not a solo achievement. “The milestones we reached were the result of teamwork, dedication, and shared national commitment,” he said.
In a parting message, he urged the public and the media to remain vigilant. “These accomplishments are not just institutional victories—they are national assets. They must not be dismantled by narrow political agendas.”
