Sarlahi, October 27:

Residents of Kaudena VDC in Sarlahi staged a sit-in at the Malangawa office of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) today. They were demanding that the NEA resume supply of electricity to the VDC.

Locals said they were compelled to stage the sit-in as power supply, disrupted in the VDC since October 1, is yet to resume.

Chief of the NEA, Malangawa, Anjani Kumar Mishra, admitted that electricity supply to Kaudena VDC was disrupted because the transformer of 1.5 KW MVA capacity could not bear the load.

The transformer of 6.8 KW MVA capacity of the Haripur substation, which was taken to Hetauda to have it repaired, will be brought within three days, Mishra added. Electricity supply to 60 VDCs including Kaudena will resume once the transformer is installed, he said.

Stating that normal life in the villages was affected due to the power disruption, outgoing chairman of the Kaudena VDC, Rajnandan Prasad Chaudhari, said, “Criminal activities are on the rise because of the disruption in power supply.”

“Dacoits looted cash and goods worth Rs 10 lakhs from 22 households of Kaudena VDC on the night of October 15 when there was no electricity,” chairman of Rural Youth Club, Pankaj Kumar Chaudhari, said.