KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today held a discussion on the West Seti Hydroelectric Project, an undertaking of an Australia-based Snowy Mountain engineering cooperation.

Minister for Energy Dr Prakash Saran Mahat said that the national interest and the benefit of the project would be taken into account in considering the West Seti.

Earlier, the PAC had ordered the Ministry of Energy not to sign any other agreements on the West Seti as the committee was studying the feasibility of the project.

“Many aspects of the project are still under discussion and I would raise the issue at the parliament before taking a final decision,” Minister Mahat said.

The government and the Asian Development Bank are jointly injecting funds for the project, he added. PAC has also called upon water resources experts to give their inputs on the West- Seti hydro-electric project.

Former Minister Deepak Gywali, who is also a water resource expert, said that a re-negotiation was essential to turn the project into Nepal’s interest.

Ratna Sansar Shrestha, an Expert on water resources, suggested that the project be restructured. “High-quality electricity generation is possible from the project but we need to sort out unclear elements in the project,” he added.

Similarly, another expert Ananda Bahadur Thapa, said that the project was of serious nature and should not be taken lightly.