The government has removed Nepal Electricity Authority MD Kulman Ghising from the position of Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The cabinet meeting held on Monday evening decided to remove Ghising from the post of Executive Director on the proposal of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources. The government has appointed Hitendradev Shakya in his place.

Ghising became the Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority for a four-year term in late Ashar 2078 BS. The government removed Kulman with four months left in his term.

Since the formation of the government under the leadership of UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli with the support of the Nepali Congress in Ashar last year, there have been repeated attempts to remove Kulman Ghising from the NEA. Energy Minister Deepak Khadka had sought clarification three times on Ghising's removal from the post.

In response, Ghising replied that the ministry did not have the authority to ask for clarification, and the Council of Ministers itself had asked Ghising for clarification three weeks ago. The Council of Ministers, which met on Monday evening, dismissed him from his post, saying that the clarification was not satisfactory.

Prime Minister Oli and Energy Minister Khadka had been making statements against Ghising in Parliament and public forums that undermined the dignity of their positions.

With the reduction in power supply, Kullman started cutting off the lines of industrialists who had not paid their dues on dedicated feeders and Trump lines, and business gangs were trying to remove Ghising by any means necessary.

The dedicated trunk line has reached Rs 21 billion as mentioned in the Auditor General's annual report and has so far reached around Rs 30 billion.

Ghising has come under government scrutiny after he refused to agree to Prime Minister Oli and Energy Minister Khadka's plan to waive that amount. Since his removal from the post of Executive Director, criticism of the government has begun everywhere.Ghising's sudden removal as NEA's MD may have negative consequences.