Industrialists demand separate mechanism to resolve trunk line tariff issue

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, Aug. 11: Industrialists of Rupandehi have demanded to form a separate commission for investigation citing that the problem of dedicated and trunk lines here is different from that of other places.

They claimed that the tariff dispute regarding trunk lines of the industries operating in Rupandehi was different from that of the industries of other districts.

The 21 industry operators involved in the trunk line dispute under the Bhairahawa-Butwal Industrial Corridor have demanded that a separate regulation commission be formed to solve their tariff problem saying that they do not have tariff disputes like in other districts. 

The industries, including Panchakanya Plastic Industries, Panchakaya Steel, Sona Packaging, SR Steels, Nawa Nepal Plastic Industries, Shubalaxmi Polymers, National Rubber Industries, Jayadurga Plastic Industries, Sona Polymer Industries, Yashoda Foods Pvt. Ltd., Priya Packaging Industries, AG Health Industries and Everest Rolling Industries Pvt. Ltd., Lumbini Flour Mills, Ferro Steels Pvt. Ltd., Goenka Foods Pvt. Ltd. and Gharana Foods Pvt. Ltd. operating in Bhairahawa-Butwal Industrial Corridor have demanded the formation of a separate committee to resolve the tariff dispute tariff for the trunk line. 

They said that it was not lawful and fair to charge electricity tariff for the electricity which was not used at the time when the industrialists were experiencing extreme load shedding. 

“The log sheet of the Butwal office of the Nepal Electricity Authority has made it clear that our industries faced the problem of load shedding at the time when the trunk line was said to be in use. Therefore, the problem of Rupandehi's industries should be solved by forming a separate regulatory body," said Chandraman Shrestha of Automatic Rice Factory in Rupandehi.

In 2072 B.S., the Authority had adopted the concept of dedicated feeder and trunk line. 

The industrialists claimed that the Authority was asking them to pay the tariff by issuing the letter without any bill because the industries in this area used the trunk line from 2074 B.S. to 2076 B.S. 

According to the industrialists, in April 2018, Nepal Electricity Authority, Bhairahawa Distribution Centre shut down for a few days to balance its internal load management and phase sequence and supplied power from Bharaulia to 21 industries of this corridor. 

Before that, electricity was being supplied through 33 KVA transmission line from Amuwa feeder in Rupandehi.

“It has not been proven from anywhere that the industrialists of this corridor have requested trunk line connection and the Authority has approved it. Due to this, we demand that the problems of the industrialists of this corridor be solved in a different way," said Devendra Sahoo General Manager of Panchakanya Group.

He blamed that after two years of unilateral correspondence by the Nepal Electricity Authority, without the demand and consent of the concerned industries, the industries have been involved in unnecessary controversy by showing arrears of electricity tariff for the trunk line. 

According to Sahoo, there was a legal provision that the related industries must pay the tariff at the trunk line rate only if they take 20 hours or more of power supply from the trunk line. 

However, in the letter sent to the industry on March 28, 2018 by the NEA itself charged the industries included in trunk line.

It was mentioned in the same letter that the industries should not be operated for two hours in the morning and from 5 in the evening to 11 at night, and action would be taken if they did. 

Accordingly, the industries did not operate for eight hours daily during peak load shedding.