Marsyangdi Rural Municipality to Provide Free Electricity Up to 50 Units Monthly to Local Residents

Lamjung. While the federal government is preparing to impose a five percent electricity tax on over 100 units from the upcoming fiscal year, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality in Lamjung, which shares a border with Manang district, has decided to provide free electricity up to 50 units monthly to its local residents.

Marsyangdi Rural Municipality will provide up to 50 units of electricity free of charge to each household of the municipality's residents from the upcoming fiscal year. The rural municipality is preparing to implement this by proposing to provide 50 units of electricity free to each household in its policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year, which was passed by the 21st village assembly, said village executive chairman Arjun Gurung. According to him, under the program 'Hydropower Income, Investment in Light Marsyangdi' in the rural municipality's policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year, consumers will receive free electricity tariff for up to 50 units per month. For this, a budget of Rs 5.5 million has been allocated by the village assembly, said Chairman Gurung.

According to the rural municipality, there are 4,409 households in all nine wards of the municipality. The rural municipality estimates an income of approximately Rs 40 million from electricity royalty in the upcoming fiscal year. The rural municipality will arrange to pay the electricity tariff for up to the said units from the royalty received from hydropower projects within the municipality, informed Chief Administrative Officer Gyan Poudel.

Within this rural municipality, electricity is being generated from eight different projects including the 50 MW Upper Marsyangdi 'A' and the 30 MW Nadi Hydropower Project, producing approximately 100 MW of electricity. Projects like the 50 MW Marsyangdi Besi Hydropower are under construction, connecting with Besisahar Municipality. The rural municipality has stated that its royalty income will also increase with the increase in production.

Local Pradip Gurung, who is also the personal secretary to the rural municipality's chairman, said that 90 percent of the rural municipality's citizens use less than 50 units of electricity, which is the amount the rural municipality is preparing to provide free to locals. He stated that since most of the area is rural, industries are few, and electricity usage is low, most locals will likely not have to spend any money on their electricity bills.

The recently concluded 21st village assembly meeting of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality has announced a budget of Rs 687.3185 million for the fiscal year 2083-84. The rural municipality has stated that it has a population of 18,759. Locals are delighted with the provision of up to 50 units of electricity being free.