KATHMANDU, March 17: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a stay order against the committee formed by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation from investigating the Time-of-Day (TOD) meter of the controversial electricity bills of dedicated feeders enjoyed by the industrialists about a decade ago.
A joint bench of SC Justices Sharanga Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana, issuing an interim order in response to a petition against the committee formed by Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, has invalidated the committee from working on its tasks. Alleging the Energy Minister’s move a violation of the law, advocate Khadananda Kandel filed a writ petition at the SC.
Energy Minister Khadka on November 17, 2024 formed the committee after a personal dispute broke out between him and Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising regarding the recovery of the outstanding dues of electricity bills of the dedicated feeders. A total of 61 manufacturing companies have been found not clearing estimated dues of Rs 6.60 billion for enjoying the facilities nine years ago.
Public Accounts Committee asks NEA to provide TOD meter data
While Ghising is on the side of recovering the dues from the entrepreneurs, Minister Khadka has been blamed for creating the committee illegitimately to give a respite to the industrialists in the name of reviewing the TOD meter readings. The committee was tasked with verifying the bills issued by NEA for industries for enjoying the special facilities during the period in which the country was reeling under 18 hours of load shedding.
The committee had been requesting the NEA employees to provide necessary details of the outstanding bills, which the NEA staff however have been refusing showing the pretext of sensitive information. With the SC issuing an interim order against the committee, it will now be unable to formally perform its duties.
Meanwhile, the NEA’s Executive Director Ghising has asked the authorities concerned to expedite the maintenance of Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project and Khimti-Barahbise transmission line to prevent the possible power cut due to the short supply from India. India has announced to limit its power supply to 654 MW exclusively during solar hours between 6 AM to 6 PM, from Sunday. The reduction in power supply has created a challenge to the NEA to maintain electricity distribution to both the household and industrial sectors.
While testing structures and equipment for electricity generation at the Middle Bhotekoshi project, which was repaired after the floods of late September last year, workers discovered water leakage in the tunnel. The repair and improvement work on the leaked tunnel is currently progressing rapidly. The 102-megawatt Middle Bhotekoshi generates up to 40 megawatts of electricity during the dry season.
Likewise, the 400 kV Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line, which carries electricity generated by the Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project, is in its final phase of construction, and the 400 kV transmission line from the new Khimti substation in Ramechhap to Bahrbise in Sindhupalchowk under construction.
A team, led by Ghising, Chilime Hydropower Company's CEO and Chairman of the Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project's Board of Directors, Subhash Kumar Mishra, visited the transmission line and substation on Saturday to monitor progress and gather information on the progress in construction work.
