Kathmandu, March 26 -- Amid protests and widespread criticism of the government decision to sack the managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising on Monday, the newly appointed chief of the public utility, Hitendra Dev Shakya, assumed office on Tuesday.

He has pledged to ensure reliable electricity to households as well as industrial consumers in the days ahead.

"Now, we should discuss the reliability of energy supply, not load-shedding," he told journalists after assuming office. "Loadshedding is no longer an issue. Reliability of the supply is."

On Monday evening, the Cabinet meeting sacked Ghising and replaced him with former managing director Shakya. Although some ministers immediately leaked the inform...