Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Hitendra Dev Shakya, has expressed the NEA’s readiness to supply electricity at a subsidized rate of Rs 3 per unit for irrigation purposes in the Madhes region.

Following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s announcement to install 500 borewells in drought-affected districts of Madhes, Shakya held discussions on Tuesday in Janakpurdham with distribution center heads regarding the electricity supply situation.

He said that the NEA is prepared to provide electricity for irrigation in districts including Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Saptari, and Sarlahi. He discussed with NEA officials the strategic plans required to ensure electricity supply in areas where borewells will be installed.

However, Shakya noted that the NEA has yet to receive specific information from concerned bodies regarding the exact locations for borewell installation. Emphasizing that farmers’ problems are national issues, he said NEA is committed to addressing them.

He also informed that electricity, which normally costs Rs 8 per unit, would be provided for irrigation at a subsidized rate of Rs 3 per unit. According to Shakya, the borewell installation work is expected to be completed within a month.