Nepal

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in Chitwan has asked 14 internet companies to pay the rent for using utility poles in the main city areas of the district.

Chief of NEA Distribution Centre Bharatpur Rajendra Poudel said that the internet companies have not renewed their contracts yet, even though they are supposed to do so within the first three months of the fiscal year. "As of now (in the current fiscal year), no company has come to us to talk about renewing the contract."

Poudel said that the NEA has been charging Rs9,000 per kilometre in the metropolitan city and Rs7,000 per kilometre in the municipality and rural municipality areas.

He also said that the NEA office would start a campaign to get internet companies to renew their contracts with the NEA so they could continue to use electric power poles.

The NEA is getting ready to take possession of the goods and equipment if the internet companies don't agree to renew their contract.

During the last fiscal year, Internet service providers paid Rs18.5 million to the NEA for the use of poles. Poudel also said that they should pay around Rs20 million this year.

Most of the wards in Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality are run by the NEA Distribution Center Bharatpur.

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