KATHMANDU, June 16: Government monitoring teams mobilized to curb electricity theft have arrested two ward chairmen, in Kavre and Saptari districts, on Friday.
Narayan Lamsal, chairman of Ward 7 of Madan Deupur Municipality in Kavre and Ramananda Chaudhary, chairman of Ward 5 of Tirhut Rural Municipality of Saptari were arrested for the theft.
Lamsal was found connecting electrical wires to his poultry farm at Kuntabeshi by illegally hooking at the supply line of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). The police released him after making him pay a fine of Rs 41,287, according to NEA officials.
Three arrested for electricity theft in Kapilvastu
Likewise, Chaudhary was arrested along with fifteen others in his village for connecting electrical wires in their houses by hooking at the NEA supply line. Chaudhary was released after paying a fine of Rs 15,000 on Friday.
Fines are calculated based on a year’s load consumption via theft, according to the Electricity Theft Control Act 2001 and Electricity Theft Control Rules 2002.
These arrests came two days after Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa and Energy Minister Barshaman Pun announced a joint campaign for controlling theft.
Earlier, the chair of Ward 2 of Madhubani Municipality, Pahadi Tharu, was also arrested for electricity theft.
Chief of NEA’s Consumer Distribution and Supply Directorate Hara Raj Neupane said they have launched A campaign to bust electricity theft in selected areas of high theft.
