Speakers at a program stressed on the need of giving priority to the renewable energy promotion and development schemes while formulating the policies and programs and the budget of the local levels for the next fiscal year.
The discussions program was jointly organized by the Rural Technology Producers Association and the National Federation of Rural Municipalities.
Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Center Ram Prasad Dhital said that 119 of the 460 rural municipalities in the country were without any energy facilities till now and therefore the development and promotion of energy was necessary in rural areas.
"The Center is ready to provide both financial and in-kind support for the development of energy in the rural areas," he asserted.
President of the Federation Hom Narayan Shrestha said energy technology is vital for the economic progress of the rural areas and the people's representatives from the rural municipalities should be consulted for expanding the reach of energy in the rural areas.
Former Minister Ganesh Shah underscored the need of sustainable use of energy sources available in the rural municipalities.
President of Nepal Micro Hydropower Developers Association, Krishna Prasad Devkota emphasized on including the development of small hydropower projects in the rural areas.
President of the Rural Technology Producers Association Hasta Pandit said they plan to hold discussions on how energy could be incorporated in the plan and budgetary planning of the rural municipalities with the Chairpersons of the 74 rural municipalities of Province 3, in the first phase. He added that such consultations would be held with the chairpersons of the rural municipalities from the rest of the provinces as well after that.
