KATHMANDU, July 26: Newly-appointed Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal on Sunday directed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to recover the long pending dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines from industrialists.

Speaking at a program organized by the NEA, Minister Bhusal said the power utility has been empowered by the law to collect the dues of electricity bills from the users. “If needed, NEA should step up to cut the electricity supply lines of the industrialists who deny settling the bills,” Bhusal said.

The NEA has been struggling to recover the dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines from the industrialists since 2015. The NEA had set a premium tariff for factories using electricity through dedicated feeders and trunk lines from August that year. Citing power outage problems at that time, the NEA had decided to impose additional fees on industries that consume a high amount of energy.

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sorted out Rs 14.08 billion dues of around 300 industrial units for the use of electricity through dedicated feeders and trunk lines. Last April, PAC directed the government to recover the amount from these industrial units.

Last month too, NEA wrote once again to the industrialists with the dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines to clear the dues by the end of this fiscal year or face disconnection for defying the notice. However, the industrialists have still been visiting the high government officials and political leaders to force NEA take back its decision. 

 
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