KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in Chitwan has asked 14 different internet companies to clear the rent for the use of utility poles in the district’s main city areas.

The internet companies have not renewed their contract agreement though they are supposed to renew their contract within the first three months of the fiscal year, Chief of NEA Distribution Centre Bharatpur Rajendra Poudel said.

“No company has visited us to renew the contract agreement till this time (in the current fiscal year).”

The NEA has been charging Rs 9,000 for one kilometre in the metropolitan city and Rs 7,000 in the municipality and rural municipality area, Poudel shared.

He further added that the now the NEA office would start a campaign calling upon the internet companies to renew their contract agreement with the NEA for the use of electric power poles.

The NEA is preparing to seize the goods and equipment if the internet companies deny to renew their contract agreement.

In the last fiscal year, the internet service providing companies had paid Rs 18.5 million for the NEA for the use of pole.

This year, they are expected to pay some Rs 20 million, Poudel added. The NEA Distribution Centre Bharatpur oversees most of the wards of Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality.