The government is to launch the ‘People’s participation based Solar street light programme’ to install solar lamps in all public places of municipalities and VDCs to make the movement easy during night as well as to decrease consumption of electricity. At a news conference organised here today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development, Kamal Thapa, said that a comprehensive working procedure has been formulated to install the solar lights considering the fact that around 6 MW electricity consumption would be decreased while public places would get regular lighting.
DPM Thapa said that public announcement would be made from Monday to forward the use of solar street lights as a campaign across the country in the partnership of the government, local bodies and local people. Solar street lights would be installed in 700 kilometres of road at a cost of around Rs 1.42 billion, as per the plan. The government has allocated Rs 1 billion for the same while the remaining Rs 420 million would be collected with the participation of local bodies and people. The government would bear 60 per cent of the total cost for the installation of solar street light while metropolitan city 25 per cent and local people 15 per cent in the metropolitan city. Similarly, the government would bear 65 per cent of the total cost while local bodies and consumers have to bear 20 per cent and 15 per cent respectively in sub-metropolitan, municipality and VDC as well as the government would provide 70 per cent of the total cost, 20 per cent by local bodies and 10 per cent by consumers for the same at most poor settlements. Likewise, the government would provide 70 per cent cost and bodies concerned should bear 30 per cent cost at hospitals, universities, schools, government offices, security bodies and government bodies. A 13-member working committee will be formed for the same under the convenorship of the Local Development Minister or the Minister-of-State or Assistant Minister for local development assigned by the Minister. RSS
