Kathmandu: The East Chitwan 132/33/11 kV substation constructed at Hardi in Rapti Municipality-6 of Chitwan with the joint investment of the government and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been inaugurated.

Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the substation at a program organized in Hardi on Wednesday.

The East Chitwan substation has been constructed at an investment of Rs 633 million to make the power supply to Rapti, Khairhani and Kalika municipalities of Chitwan qualitative and reliable. The electricity flowing from the 132 kV transmission line from Hetauda of Makawanpur to Bharatpur of Chitwan has been pumped out of the East Chitwan substation.

Speaking at the inauguration program, Dahal urged NEA to build electrical infrastructure in the main cities and industrial areas of the country to meet the demand of electricity for 50 years.

Similarly, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Pampha Bhusal said that the electricity tariff has been made cheaper to provide irrigation facilities to cultivable land. She said, "The price of petroleum products is increasing, so let's use electricity in every sector which is about 40-50 percent cheaper than petroleum products."

Speaking on the occasion, NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising said that the technical leakage in the area has decreased after the substation came into operation, the customers have got quality, reliable and adequate electricity and the situation of forced load-shedding in summer has also come to an end.

The substation has 132/33 kV, 30 MVA capacity and 33/11 kV, 16.6 MVA capacity one power transformer each.

Electricity is being supplied to Rapti and Khairhani municipalities through an 11 kV feeder from the substation. About 40,000 customers have benefited from this.

A new 33 kV power supply line is being constructed from this substation to the Parsa substation in Jodi Kalika and Ratnanagar Municipality.

According to Dirghayukumar Shrestha, Deputy Executive Director of NEA, Directorate of Broadcasting, the locals have obstructed the construction of an 8 km 33 kV double circuit transmission line from the substation to Chainpur. He said that the issue could not be resolved despite repeated discussions between the locals, people's representatives and the administration.

The construction of the East Chitwan Substation was started in 2075 BS.