The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has begun disconnecting the power supply to industries that consumed electricity through dedicated and trunk lines during periods of load-shedding but failed to pay the corresponding premium tariffs.
The NEA on Tuesday morning cut the power lines of several major industries, including Jagdamba Steel, Reliance Spinning Mills, Shivam Cement, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhanchi Cement Industries, and Triveni Spinning Mills.
The total outstanding premium tariff dues from these six companies stand at over 4.41 billion rupees.
Specific outstanding dues as per industries have to pay
Jagdamba Steel owes Rs 1.60 billion in outstanding arrears followed by Shivam Cement with Rs 778.8 million and Reliance Spinning Mills Rs 753.7 million. Similarly, Ghorahi Cement has to clear dues amounting to Rs 508.5 million followed by Arghakhanchi Cement Industries with Rs 448.4 million while Triveni Spinning Mills owes Rs 321.0 million in outstanding bills.
This outstanding amount represents the additional tariff for the use of dedicated and trunk lines between Magh 2072 BS and Baisakh 2075 BS.
Manoj Silwal, the Managing Director of the NEA, stated that special counters have been arranged for the industries to pay their arrears, even during the Tihar public holiday. He confirmed that the disconnected lines would be reconnected immediately if an industry avails the instalment facility and pays the first instalment.
Minister Kulman Ghising implements long-awaited campaign
The current Energy Minister, Kulman Ghising, has implemented the campaign he had championed when he was the NEA Executive Director, a role he was removed from when he attempted to collect the total outstanding arrears of Rs 8.26 billion from 49 industrialists.
Ghising, who became a minister in the interim government formed following the Gen Z movement, immediately proceeded with the collection drive. He removed the then-NEA Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya and appointed Manoj Silwal in his place to accelerate the campaign.
Interestingly, Ghising subsequently appointed Shakya as an expert member of the Water and Energy Commission, a move that reportedly increased both his benefits and his official rank.
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