Syangja, January 15:

At a time when the nation is gripped by 16-hour-a-day power outage, many households in Syangja’s Myagyam and Chitrebhanjyang VDCs are lucky enough not to face any such plight.

Thanks to the construction of Putpute Hydro Electricity Project in their vicinity three years ago, the locals here are getting the power supplied round the clock.

“The project has been generating 43 kilowatt of electricity, benefitting a total of 466 households in five wards of Myagyam VDC and some households in Chitrebhanjyang VDC,” Dandapani Bhandari, chairman of the Electricity Users’ Committee said.

The project generates a monthly income of Rs 60,000, of which Rs 20,000 is used for regular expenditures such as paying the staff. Consumers pay Rs 7 per unit of electricity used.

According to Rajendra Bhujel, secretary at the project office, the locals had enjoyed free electricity for some time but were charged later in order to pay the bank loans taken for the construction of the project. “The locals will be charged only Rs 4 per unit once the project pays back the loan,” he said.

“We used to reach far-away mills for grinding grains. After the setting up of the power plant in 2006, we have been relieved of the tough task,” Maya Thapa, a local, said. Two rice mills, two saw mills and a block producing factory, that run on electricity, have also provided employment for the locals. The locals can also watch television and use telephones uninterruptedly.

The power plant was set up at the cost of Rs 8.5 million, of which locals contributed Rs 2.4 million cash and labour worth Rs 1.4 million. Alternative Energy Promotion Centre had

provided Rs 2.3 million while Syangja and Chisapani VDCs had provided Rs 0.3 million each for the project.