Marsyangdi to Provide Free Electricity to Households Under New Hydropower Benefit Scheme

Residents of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality will soon receive up to 50 units of free electricity every month under a new programme announced by the local government, aimed at ensuring local communities directly benefit from hydropower development in the region.

The initiative, launched under the slogan “Income from Hydropower, Investment in Bright Marsyangdi,” is expected to come into effect from the next fiscal year after receiving formal approval from the village assembly. According to Chairperson Arjun Gurung, the programme is part of a broader policy designed to support households and improve local livelihoods through revenue generated from hydropower projects operating within the municipality.

A budget of Rs 5.5 million has been allocated for the implementation of the scheme, which is expected to benefit all 4,409 households spread across the municipality’s nine wards. Local officials estimate that the municipality will receive nearly Rs 40 million in electricity royalty revenue in the coming year.

Chief Administrative Officer Bigyan Paudel said the free electricity programme will be financed entirely through royalties generated from hydropower production in the area, reflecting a growing effort to ensure communities hosting major infrastructure projects receive direct economic returns.

At present, the municipality produces nearly 100 megawatts of electricity from eight hydropower projects, including major contributions from the Upper Marsyangdi A Hydropower Project and the Nyadi Hydropower Project. In addition, construction is underway on a new 50-megawatt hydroelectric project that is expected to further strengthen the region’s energy production capacity and improve connectivity with nearby Besishahar Municipality.

The initiative is being viewed as a significant step toward linking natural resource development with local economic benefits, creating a model where communities directly share in the gains generated by hydropower investments.