Organizing a press meet in the capital, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Kamal Thapa said that the ministry has decided to expand installation of solar power street lamps in all the municipalities and the urbanized areas of village development committees with the aim to promote alternative energy in the country, which is reeling under acute power shortage.
"With the plan on cards, the ministry also aims to boost evening businesses, ensure safe mobility of pedestrians and reduce financial burdens caused by the street lamps operated through electricity. The plan will be executed in all the local bodies with the participation of the locals," said Deputy Prime Minster Thapa.
The ministry has entitled the program as "Solar Power Street Lamps installation program with the participation of the public".
According to the ministry, the government has allotted Rs 1 billion for the program while Rs 420 million will be allocated from the local bodies and the general public to implement the plan.
"The allocated budget is enough to install 10,000 solar power street lamps in almost 700 kilometers of road for keeping each lamp at a distance of 50 meters. The program will be launched in all the municipalities and VDCs phase wise," said Thapa, adding, if the program is completely implemented, it will save almost 6 mega watts of electricity of the main transmission line.
Officials at the ministry have said that the central government will provide 60 percent of the total budget to install the solar power street lamps in metropolitan city and the metropolitan city office will provide 25 percent of the total budget while the remaining 15 percent of the budget will be collected from locals.
Similarly, for the municipalities and VDCs, the ministry will cover 65 percent of the total budget for the program while the local bodies will have to provide 20 percent of the total budget and the remaining 15 percent of the budget will be collected from locals. In the remote areas, the government has decided to cover almost 70 percent of the total budget for implementing the project.
The ministry has formed a 13-member coordination committee for effective implementation of the project.
In 2014, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City office had installed solar power street lamps in the major thoroughfare of the capital.
Date for local bodies election to be announced by mid-April: Thapa
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa said that the government will announce the date for the election of the local bodies by mid-April.
Speaking at the same press meet, Thapa said that the ministry is making all the legal preparations that would be required to hold the election of the local bodies and will soon hold talks with the political parties for holding the elections soon.
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