Biraj Bhakta Shrestha Appointed as Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in New Government

Kathmandu. Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has been appointed as the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. Shrestha, elected as a Member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-8, became a minister in the new government led by Balen Shah.

Shrestha, who grew up in the historic Basantapur area of Kathmandu, has established an identity ranging from heritage conservation activist to a leader of alternative politics.

His political journey began in 2074 BS with the then Bibeksheel Nepali Dal. He plunged into alternative politics, influenced by campaigns like Ujjwal Thapa's 'One Tree - My Responsibility'. He began his parliamentary journey after being elected as a member of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly from the Bibeksheel Sajha Party in the 2074 Provincial Assembly elections.

While in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, Shrestha succeeded in establishing a distinct identity as an assembly member. His voice was particularly strong on issues of environmental protection, opposition to tree felling, and sustainable development.

Due to the merger between the Bibeksheel and Sajha parties and the subsequent ideological differences, he resigned from the party. Before the 2079 House of Representatives elections, he was preparing to contest as an independent candidate, but later joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and succeeded in winning the election.

During his tenure of nearly three years, Shrestha served as the Deputy Leader of the parliamentary party and also briefly served as the Minister for Youth and Sports.

During his nearly five-month tenure as Minister for Youth and Sports, he accomplished significant tasks including publishing the annual sports calendar, working on resolving the Scout's land dispute, and forming an Anti-Doping Agency.

Now, the responsibility of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has fallen upon his shoulders. This is a ministry under which eight projects listed in the national pride list fall.

The challenge for this ministry is everything from the country's electrification to managing irrigation for arable land. This requires completing projects at a rapid pace.

The ministry will also have to work on constructing transmission lines, substations, and underground electrification to solve problems arising from energy crises during winter, managing excess production during monsoon, and weak electricity infrastructure.

Furthermore, his responsibility will include advancing the work to immediately push forward long-awaited projects like Budhigandaki and West Seti. He also shoulders the responsibility of playing a leading role in increasing the use of electric vehicles and stoves to reduce the consumption of petroleum and cooking gas currently in use.