Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, has said that a plan has been advanced to directly involve 40,000 households of Sankhuwasabha in the Upper Arun Hydropower Project.

Speaking at a journalists’ meet organized by the Nepal Press Union, Sankhuwasabha, he said that a plan has been prepared to allocate shares worth five lakh rupees per household to about 40,000 households in the district in the 1,063-megawatt Upper Arun Hydropower Project.

According to him, the target has been set to complete the share issuance by the time 50 percent of the Upper Arun construction is completed. “This project is not limited to electricity generation alone,” he said, “it will also lead the people of Sankhuwasabha toward economic prosperity.” He mentioned that even the underprivileged will get the opportunity to participate in shares, stating that 12 to 15 percent of citizens will be provided interest-free loans through banks.

“The right over natural resources belongs to everyone. The hope for Arun III has been there for a long time, and now the day has come to fulfill that dream,” he said. He expressed his commitment to giving priority to local manpower, mobilizing skilled workers produced within the district in the maintenance and technical works required for the project.

The Upper Arun Hydropower Project in Sankhuwasabha is one of Nepal’s most ambitious hydropower schemes. It is expected to strengthen the province and the nation economically, not only through the electricity it generates but also through local participation. Minister Khadka expressed confidence that the expansion of technical and vocational education would increase employment and self-reliance.

Source: Kantipur