In Brief:

• 38 families in Bara provided free meters, MCBs and wires
• Households had lived without electricity for years despite nearby lines
• Support funded from ward's previous fiscal year budget
• Technicians to begin installations Tuesday, ward chairman says
• Residents welcome initiative, calling it a chance to live in the light

BARA, AUGUST 25 For 38 Dalit and extremely poor families in Jitpursimara Sub-Metropolitan City-18, electricity lines nearby have long been a reminder of what they could not afford to have at home. That changed on Monday, when the ward office provided electricity meters, MCBs and cable wires free of cost, paving the way for the households to connect to the power supply. Ward chairman Chatur Babu Wagle said the support was funded from the ward's previous fiscal year budget to help families who had been forced to live in darkness despite infrastructure in place. The ward had identified and selected the beneficiaries during the first four months of fiscal year 2025/26, but the distribution was delayed due to delays in releasing the budget, Wagle said. The materials were handed over to representatives of the 38 households at a programme held at the ward office on Monday. Ward chairman Wagle, ward secretary Niruta Karki and other representatives attended the programme. Technicians from the Nepal Electricity Authority will begin installing the meters and other materials from Tuesday, Wagle said. The beneficiaries welcomed the support. Rudal Majhi, one of the local residents who received a meter box, said the assistance would finally allow his family to live with electricity. 'We have endured darkness because of poverty. Now we will be able to live in the light. What could make us happier than this?' he said. The ward office said the initiative was aimed at helping vulnerable households gain access to basic electricity services.