18 Chait, Sankhuvasabha. Workers at the power house site of the 900 megawatt Arun 3rd hydroelectric project under construction in Sankhuwasabha have stopped work.

1,500 workers protested after not getting their salary allowance for 6 months. The laborers and box contractors working in the power house Chichila rural municipality-2 Pukhuwa of the Arun 3rd hydropower project started the protest by stopping the work from Wednesday morning.

Due to the agitation, the work at the Arun 3rd Project power house Chichila Rural Municipality-2 Pukhuwa has been completely affected. The work of the Arun 3rd power plant site is being done by the Indian construction company Patel Engineering Company.

The workers have stopped work since Wednesday saying they have not been paid for 6 months. After the construction company did not show interest in paying the salaries on time, the workers and box contractors stopped the work expressing their dissatisfaction.

Chief District Officer Sarjan Thapalia said that she had received information that the workers at the power house site of the Arun 3rd project had protested demanding payment of salaries on time.

Thapalia said that even before this, when the workers submitted a request to the district administration office for timely payment of salary, the concerned company was informed.

The 900 MW Arun 3rd hydropower project is being constructed by Indian Sutlej Company.

More than 3,000 Indian and Nepali workers are working at the project’s Dam Faksida and Pukhuwa power house site.

It is estimated that one trillion 20 billion rupees will be spent to complete this project, which is targeted to be completed in five years.

It has been agreed that the project will provide free electricity at the rate of 30 units to the affected families. From this project, Nepal will benefit from 340 billion royalties, free electricity, income tax, VAT and customs duty exemption in 25 years, it is mentioned in the development agreement PDA.