By A Staff Reporter KATHMANDU,

Jan 31: After the Upper Karnali hydropower project was given to an Indian company, border experts and lawyers at an interaction programme Wednesday expressed doubts about the Indian security force finding the pretext of giving security to the project to enter Nepal. At the programme, advocate Bhimarjan Acharya said that this interim (temporary) government did not have the right to make contract of projects related to natural resources and of national importance.

He said the government, before making the contract, should have first asked the local people as they have more right to the use and utilisation of the local resources.

He added that more than making such an agreement, this government should give priority to the upcoming constitution assembly (CA) elections.

The Upper Karnali hydropower project has the capacity of 300 MW.

Hydropower expert Ratna Sagar Shrestha said that Nepal would never be developed if the government continued selling natural resources to foreigners instead of building infrastructure for their development on its own efforts.

Gorakh Bahadur GC, local of Karnali said Karnali is not just a river but a symbol of the civilisation of the Khasas, the original people of Karnali. Selling such a resource without taking consent of the local people is a betrayal to the people and ignoring the civilisation of the region.

Source: The Rising Nepal, February 2, 2008,