NEA cuts off power supply to 14 industries

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Dec. 31: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has cut power supply of additional 14 industries. According to the NEA, it has cut power supply of additional 14 industries that consumed electricity from dedicated feeders and trunk lines in the past, but have not paid the premium fee. 

The Authority cut the electricity lines of industries with power tariff arrears of more than Rs. 50 million under the dedicated feeders and trunk lines. The NEA started cutting the lines of industries who refused to pay power tariff from December 22, 2023. In the first phase, electricity of four industries with arrears of more than Rs. 1 billion and then five industries was cut off. Along with 14 more industries whose power supply was cut on Friday, 23 industries getting power supply from dedicated feeder and trunk lines have been cut off.

The electricity supply of Baba Jute Mills (Rs. 56.1 million), Nigale Cement (Rs. 142.1 million), Triveni Synthetic Yarn Industries (Rs. 156.6 million), Himal Iron and Steel (Rs. 81.3 million), Jagdamba Enterprises (Rs. 476.6 million), Hama Iron (Rs. 115.5 million) and Everest paper Mills (Rs. 213.6 million) have been cut on Friday. Similarly, electricity supply of Cosmos Cement (Rs. 358.2 million), Shubhashree Agni Cement (Rs. 381 million), Jagdamba Synthetic (Rs. 475.3 million), Gharana Foods (Rs. 50.9 million), Siddhartha PET Plast (Rs. 52.4 million), Butwal Cement (Rs. 329.8 million), Narayani Ispat (Rs. 784.9 million) has been cut.

The electricity tariff arrears of Jagdamba Steels stood at Rs. 4.14 billion, Reliance Spinning Mills at Rs. 1.94 billion, Ghorahi Cement at Rs. 1.36 billion and Arghakhanchi Cement at Rs. 1.3 billion. According to the Authority, 61 industries have to settle Rs. 22.24 billion in arrears.

After the NEA has started to cut electricity supply of industries having electricity arrears continuously, the private sector representatives on Friday met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and requested to resolve the dispute according to the legal system at the earliest.

They have drawn the attention of the Prime Minister to immediately connect the electricity of those industries whose line has been cut citing that there are arrears without actual basis and proof or non-payment of arrears. 

In the meantime, the NEA has made it clear that it has a strategy to cut power supply lines of industries that do not pay electricity arrears under the dedicated feeders and trunk lines.