Engineer Shreeram Wins Parliamentary Seat with Ambitious Development Plans

March 16, Kathmandu – Engineer Shreeram Neupane from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been decisively elected as the Member of Parliament for Tanahun-2. He secured 32,687 votes, more than double those of Nepali Congress candidate Shankar Bhandari.

According to Neupane, his victory reflects the growing influence of the RSP in Tanahun and the public’s attraction to new-generation leadership. Similar to how Balen Shah and the central wave of the RSP gained nationwide support, Neupane’s personal reputation ensured his success in Tanahun.

Neupane joined the RSP on February 27, 2023, alongside Dr. Swarnim Wagle. Previously unaffiliated with any political party, Neupane helped coordinate election operations as the chief of the election management committee during the recent Tanahun-1 by-election, supporting Wagle’s prominent role in the district.

With Wagle contesting for continuity in Tanahun-1, Neupane ran for office in Tanahun-2. He conducted surveys at the local level before announcing his candidacy to gauge his acceptance among voters.

Among his key proposals is the concept of safer highways along the Prithvi Highway by implementing overhead crossings, lane segregation, and improved lighting to reduce accidents.

Approximately one and a half months before the election, Neupane visited all 43 wards of Tanahun-2, engaging directly with local residents. Even before receiving his party ticket, he was actively involved in social initiatives, such as organizing site visits to the Sikles Hydropower Project and installing smart boards in remote government schools to facilitate live classes linked with schools in Kathmandu.

Neupane claims that these efforts greatly strengthened his personal image. With an engineering background, he envisions significant potential for Tanahun at the national level. He highlighted the Rishing-Ghiring area, which has over 10,000 hectares of flat arid land that can be developed into an industrial hub by connecting it with the Kaligandaki corridor, a 432 kV transmission line, abundant water resources, and the Dhaubadi iron mine.

His main concept centers on an iron processing industry that would bring raw materials from the Dhaubadi iron mine to produce steel. He asserted that the raw materials would be sufficient for the next 100 years.

Additionally, Neupane plans to establish a green hydrogen energy plant using water from the Kaligandaki River, which would produce chemical fertilizers, explosives, and ammonia. He also mentioned the feasibility of operating large cement factories and chemical fertilizer plants using solar, wind, and hydropower. Other proposals include extending the 21-kilometer reservoir of Tanahun Hydro, the largest in Nepal, promoting tourism destinations, homestays, and multipurpose projects involving gravel and sand extraction.

He reasserted the safer highway concept along the Prithvi Highway through overhead crossings, lane segregation, and lighting to reduce accidents.

Neupane had prepared these detailed plans prior to his candidacy and presented them to then Energy Minister Kulman Ghising and secretaries of six ministries. Although the ministries provided positive feedback, he experienced delays when attempts were made to advance the projects.

He now firmly believes that under an RSP-led stable government, with consistent policies, honest leadership, and investment-friendly environments, these ambitious dreams can be fulfilled.

As an expert in energy, water resources, and infrastructure, Neupane supports spending 90 to 100 percent of development budgets by operating construction projects 24 hours a day in three shifts, thereby creating employment and promoting good governance.

The foundation for his proposals stems from his extensive engineering and energy sector experience. Born in Tanahun, Neupane completed his School Leaving Certificate at Gorkha’s Amarjyoti Janata Secondary School, earned a Diploma in Civil Engineering from Pokhara’s WRC, and holds a Bachelor’s in Civil and Water Resources Engineering from Pulchowk Campus, as well as a Master’s degree in the same field.

Though active in student politics via the Free Student Union and Nepal Student Federation, Neupane distanced himself shortly after due to differences with the nature of student politics and turned to professional life. At age 25, he left government service to establish a top engineering college and, by 29, founded the Advanced College of Engineering and Management, serving as its principal.

He has also managed major projects such as the Melamchi Drinking Water Tunnel and the Nagdhunga Tunnel Pathway and has been honored by the Government of Nepal with the Prabal Jansewa Shree award. Nonetheless, Neupane states that the lack of a conducive governance environment, corruption, and delays compelled him to enter politics.

Following the 2006 movement, free internet and email training was provided to 601 Constituent Assembly members; however, due to lack of engagement, the gap between technology and leadership became evident. Neupane believes that the ongoing Generation Z movement, connected to technology, has yet to be effectively harnessed by political leadership.

As an expert in energy, water resources, and infrastructure, he advocates fully utilizing development budgets by running continuous 24/7 construction in three shifts to create employment and ensure good governance.