Rukum, January 19

Electricity poles installed by Nepal Electricity Authority for the expansion of the national electricity transmission line are being stolen in Rukum.

The poles from Shreenagar of Salyan’s to Musikot of Rukum, installed a decade ago, are being stolen openly and used at other places due to gross negligence on the part of the NEA. Rukumeli Electricity Energy Development Consumers' Committee was found to be using the poles.

District Police office Rukum had taken some poles under control after it found the committee uprooting the poles.

The theft came to light after police detained a team of the committee led by committee Vice-chair Harka Bahadur Thapa while they were ferrying the poles in a tractor.

DSP Rupesh Khadka said they were able to make the arrest and seize the poles after the tractor driver and others behaved suspiciously when police questioned them.

Preliminary investigation showed that the committee was taking away the poles without permission from NEA and DAO.

Further investigation is under way, police said.

Vice-chair Thapa conceded that they had uprooted some poles belonging to the national transmission line to expand the local transmission line from Patukhola Bazaar of Khalnga to Math.