The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (Ippan) has asked the government to simplify the process of forest land acquisition for development of hydropower projects. The umbrella body of private hydropower project developers has also urged the government to terminate the current provision that makes it mandatory for project developers to buy land parcel similar to the size of the forest land acquired for project development and hand it over to the government. The Ippan made these demands during a press meet organised on Monday.

The umbrella body also demanded that hydropower project developers be allowed to purchase forest land from the government to build the projects. Then Forest Secretary Uday Chandra Thakur had prepared an action plan incorporating similar provision following a joint meeting between parliamentary committees on development, and agriculture and water resources.

But the plan could not be implemented after he left the Forest Ministry. The Ippan is now urging for the implementation of that action plan.