KATHMANDU: Department of Electricity Development has cancelled seven more survey licences of developers who failed to submit renewal fee and application, among others.
As part of ongoing effort to take action against power developers who keep projects lingering by not submitting progress reports, DoED cancelled the survey licences for Roshi Khola (3 MW), Bhuji Khola (4.7 MW), Lower Jogmai (6.3 MW), Yandeli Khola (2.7 MW), Lower Inwa (7.3 MW), Upper Maya Khola (3.1 MW), and Lawa Khola (3 MW) on Tuesday.
In a bid to check the trend of occupying rivers by holding licences, the government had increased the annual fee of licences in September by amending the Electricity Rule 2050.
A developer initially gets survey licence for two years and has to renew it for an additional three years after submitting satisfactory progress report.
DoED has asked around 200 developers, who were permitted to develop hydro power ranging from 100 KW and 1000 KW, to submit their progress reports. Those failing to submit their reports will face the same fate as the seven hydropower developers.
In the last three months, DoED has scrapped over two dozen survey licences, including applications for generation licence amounting to over 780 MW.
Source : The Himalayan Times