KATHMANDU, July 13 :
The general public are likely to face additional load-shedding in the days to come as Nepal Electricity Authority forms a panel to resume distribution of dedicated feeders, as demanded by various state-run and private organizations.
The demand for an additional uninterrupted power supply roughly averages between 15 to 20 MW a day, which if provided, will add to the woes of the general consumers, who are already facing up to 14 hours of power outage per day during the dry seasons.
Following some 150 demands for the dedicated feeders, last week NEA formed a panel to set a criteria for such distribution, which was stopped since February.
Demands from various state-run organizations and private industries vary from 50 KVA to 500 KVA, according to the Distribution and Consumer Services of NEA.
Some three dozen organizations, including some private and all public hospitals in the valley have already got uninterrupted power supply and new demands are from government offices, private hospitals and industries out of the valley.
Election Commission, Prime Minister´s official residence have also demanded for the uninterrupted power supply.
Talking to this daily, NEA board member Manoj Mishra, who also heads the three-member panel, said, “We have started collecting opinions and ideas from the different units of NEA for setting a criteria regarding providing dedicated power supply.” Other members of the panel are Load Dispatch Center´s Chief Bhuwan Kumar Chhetri and NEA Director Subash Dahal.
The NEA had stopped to provide the dedicated feeder after erstwhile NEA board Chairman Leela Mani Paudyal had directed to stop such distribution at the time of power crisis in February.Before that, NEA officials, including the directors, general managers and managing directors, were free to use their discretion to provide the dedicated feeder. However, the dedicated feeder users pay only the same tariff as the general consumers. Asked about tariff issue, however, Chhetri said that they have no mandate to suggest the tariff.
“Though we have not come to the conclusion, we are, however, some essential services like drinking water, airport and hospitals will most likely get the facility,” added Chhetri. He informed that the panel will submit its report to the NEA board in a week´s time. Mahendra Basnet, vice-chairman of NEA employee Welfare, is of the opinion that the tariff rate for such dedicated feeders should be at least twice the amount paid by the general public.
Sitaram Thapa, chairman of NEA´s National Employee Organization, said that the dedicated feeders should be provided only to the public hospitals and the private hospitals in remote areas.
Source : Republica
