Electricity again supplied to 23 industries

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 14: Since last Friday, the power supply has been resumed to 23 industries by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Three weeks back,  the supply was cut down due to their failure to pay outstanding fees for using dedicated feeders and trunk lines.

However, the NEA again reconnected the electricity lines following the direction for the same on the part of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.

The authority had disconnected the lines of the industries in three different stages from December 22. In the first phase,  Jagdamba Steel, Ghorahi Cement, Reliance Spinning Mills and Arghakhanchi Cement faced cut-off. In the second phase, NEA stopped the supply to Sonapur Minerals and Oil Ltd, Lakshmi Steel, Sarvottam Cement, Ashok Steel, and Triveni Spinning Mills.

In the third phase, it disconnected the lines of Baba Jute Mill, Siddharth Cement, Triveni Synthetic, Himal Iron and Steel, Jagdamba Enterprises, Hama Iron, Everest Paper Mill, Cosmos Cement, Shubhashree Agni Cement, Jagdamba Synthetic, Gharana Foods, Narayani Spat and Butwal Cement and Hulas Steel.

The total outstanding amount of 61 consumers using electricity from dedicated and trunk lines until mid-December 2023 is Rs 22.24 billion. Out of them, Himal Iron is reported to have paid the first instalment payment ( Rs. 2.711 million.)

The NEA has already come up with an arrangement to facilitate them to clear their dues up to 60 instalments.

It was Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who had earlier directed for penalising those industries not paying their outstanding dues by stopping power supply. However, he later made a U-turn on the issue under the pressure of the industry owners.