CHITWAN: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Chitwan office has asked 14 different internet companies to clear the rent for the use of utility poles in the district’s main city areas.
The internet companies have not renewed their contract agreements though they are supposed to do so within the first three months of every fiscal year, chief of NEA Distribution Center, Bharatpur, Rajendra Poudel said. “No company has visited us to renew the contract agreement so far.”
NEA has been charging Rs 9,000 for one kilometer in the metropolitan city and Rs 7,000 in the municipality and rural municipality area, Poudel shared.
He further added that now the NEA office will start a campaign calling upon the internet companies to renew their contract agreement with the NEA for the use of electric power poles.
The NEA is preparing to seize the goods and equipment if the internet companies refuse to renew their contract agreements.
In the last fiscal year, the internet service providing companies had paid Rs 18.5 million to the NEA for the use of electricity poles. This year, they are expected to pay some Rs 20 million, Poudel added.
The NEA Distribution Center, Bharatpur, oversees most of the wards of Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Ichchha Kamana Rural Municipality.