CHITWAN: Different cable TV distributors and internet service provider in Chitwan are using the utility poles, owned by Nepal Telecommunication (NT) and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), with zero or nominal pay.

The NT pays Rs 200 to the NEA for use of a each poll for a year. It has to pay Rs 1.2 million every year to the Authority on an average.

However, for last 10 years, the telecom service provider itself has not been able to collect payment from the private companies that are using its poles in Bharatpur.

Notwithstanding the rule that the companies using the poles shall pay Rs. 100 to each pole in a year, the cable TV operators and internet service providers have not paid to the Telecom for a long time.

According to Lalit Kumar Lal Das, Head of NT in Bharatpur, only two cable TV distributors Unique Cable Television and View Cable have been making payments to it in last 10 years.

More than six cable companies and eight internet service providers have used the poles of the NT and the NEA in Chitwan.

According to Das, Rs 1 million should be paid yearly if any private companies used the poles in the area. It has more than 10,000 poles in the area.

Chitrawan Unique Cable TV has been paying for 1,009 poles in urban and 504 in rural areas of the district. Likewise Adhikari Media Networking, Yeskina Networking Private Limited, Amor Cable TV, Tribeni Network Private Limited are paying money for only 304, 311, 60, and 66 poles respectively, informed Bhagwan Dhakal an Accounts Officer at the  NEA Bahratapur distribution centre.

Dhakal informed that they are soon going to take action against the companies which fail to make due payments.