Kathmandu, 19th May 2024. The electricity of the national transmission line has reached the poor settlements of Dhading and Chitwan, where there is a majority of the marginalized Chepang community. Gajuri and Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality of Dhading and the remote Chepang hamlet of Ichchakamana Rural Municipality of Chitwan have been electrified by delivering the national transmission line. Nepal Electricity Authority has also provided free meters to the Chepang community.
In order to expand access to electricity, the authority has been distributing free electricity meters to backward and economically disadvantaged households who cannot afford meters. Through its distribution centers across the country, the authority has been providing free meters and connecting electricity to the poor. The underprivileged class will get a single phase energy meter, MCB box with 5-30 amp capacity box as per authority standards free of cost. Authority does not charge service fee for meter connection.
Managing Director of the authority Kulman Ghising announced that the village has been fully electrified in a program held at Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-1 Kaling of Chitwan on Saturday. Besides, Managing Director Ghising also distributed free meters to the Chepang community living in the village.
The authority has spent more than 150 million rupees in the current financial year only for the electrification of 7 wards of Ichchakamana rural municipality.
Managing Director Ghising said that the country is being completely electrified by taking the budget provided by the government, the profit earned by the authority and concessional loans through international financial institutions.
7-8 years ago, only about 60% of the population had access to electricity from the national system, there was load shedding in the places where electricity was available, while other places were in the dark, now load shedding has ended and history has become, 95% of the population has received electricity from the national system, for 100% electrification. The contract agreement has been completed and the work is being done’, Ghising said. “Earlier, we had to run to the authority’s offices to ask for electricity, but now we are looking for houses without electricity. Millions of rupees have been spent to supply electricity to a house in a difficult area. Not a single house has been left out. If you find any, please inform us.”
In order to increase the consumption of electricity, he urged to replace the gas by using electric stoves and said that the 1,000 deposit required to be paid by the squatters who do not have a land owner to get the electricity meter is not practical and a necessary decision will be taken to remove it.
Dan Bahadur Gurung, chairman of the rural municipality, said that because the authority allocated more money than the budget received by the rural municipality from various sources in one year for the electrification of wishes, the work was carried forward and the complete electrification was possible. Chairman Gurung mentioned that the rural municipality will keep a deposit of Rs.
Manoj Silwal, the Deputy Managing Director of the Authority’s Distribution and Customer Service Directorate, asked to use electricity safely and pay the tariff on time.
Maya Silwal, the vice chairman of the municipality, and Sant Bahadur Magar, the chairman of Ward No. 1, said that the situation of the residents of the municipality having to live in the dark will end and the economic activities of that area will increase.
