KATHMANDU, Sept 21: The Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA Nepal) has started the process of distributing compensation for acquiring land required for the construction of towers for the electricity transmission line in various locations in Tanahun district under the US-funded project.

This transmission line of 400 kV capacity will run from the Ratamate substation to the Damauli substation, and then to the New Butwal substation. 

The District Administration Office (DAO) Tanahun issued a notice on September 17 requesting landowners eligible for compensation to submit an application within 21 days from the date of the notice. They must provide ownership and usage-related documents at either the DAO, MCA Nepal's contact office in Tanahun district, or the project’s public information center.

Assistant Chief District Officer Kamal Raj Bhandari said that anyone dissatisfied with the notice can file a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs within 15 days, in accordance with Section 18(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1977. The valuation committee, in a meeting held last Wednesday at the district administration office, finalized the compensation rates for the land where the transmission line towers will be located. Bhandari added that the meeting, attended by local representatives from the affected areas, determined fair compensation for all the land within Tanahun district where the towers will be constructed.

A total of 199 towers will be constructed in the Abukhaireni Rural Municipality, Bandipur Rural Municipality, Byas Municipality, Rishing Rural Municipality, and Ghiring Rural Municipality. According to Assistant Chief District Officer Bhandari, some of these towers will be built on government land, while others will be on private land.  

The Value Determination Committee stated that they conducted a physical inspection of the land and held multiple discussions before determining the land's value. Assistant Chief District Officer Bhandari mentioned that compensation was determined based on land classification, the valuation set by the land revenue office, prevailing prices from the relevant ward office, prices established by banks and financial institutions, distance to the nearest road, and taking into consideration the forest area.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will invest in the construction of a 315-kilometer transmission line under the electricity transmission project, connecting the line from Lapsiphedi in Kathmandu to the Nepal-India border in Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West). This transmission line will include 199 towers across five municipalities in Tanahun. MCA Nepal has already signed a contract for the construction of the 400 kV New Damauli substation on July 31. The New Damauli substation will serve as a crucial point for electricity flow to the Ratamate, Lekhnath, and New Butwal substations.

 
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