The state-owned power utility asks industrialists dissatisfied with bills of dedicated feeders to appeal for review
KATHMANDU, May 14: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has extended the deadline for industries that used electricity via dedicated feeders and trunk lines to apply for administrative review until the end of Jestha (mid-June).
In a newly issued public notice, NEA stated that customers with outstanding electricity dues can submit applications for administrative review by the deadline, in accordance with Sub-Regulation 2 of Regulation 55 of the NEA Electricity Distribution Bylaws 2078.
To be eligible, applicants must deposit either 5 percent of the billed amount in cash or provide a class ‘A’ bank guarantee of equivalent value with a one-year validity. This is required to proceed with the review process under Sub-Regulation 1 of the same provision.
At a time when a number of industrialists have expressed their dissatisfaction over the controversial dues of dedicated feeders use, the state-owned power utility has invited review applications. This is the second time in the past week that the NEA has issued a similar notice. This decision follows NEA’s board meeting on May 4.
This opportunity applies to industrial consumers who used electricity from NEA’s dedicated feeders or trunk lines between mid-January 2016 and mid-May 2018 and have unpaid dues from that period.
A long-standing dispute over approximately Rs 8 billion in unpaid dues has persisted between industrialists and the NEA. Of the total amount, the NEA has calculated around Rs 6.43 billion in unpaid electricity tariffs, with an additional 25 percent penalty bringing the total to approximately Rs 8.04 billion.
Expressing their dissatisfaction over the NEA issued Time-of-Day (TOD) based bills, the industrialists have been challenging the NEA to verify the amount stated on the bills. The controversial issue created a major rift between Energy Minister Deepak Khadka and the then NEA Chief Kulman Ghising, who was later ousted from his position.
Taking the side of the entrepreneurs, Minister Khadka even formed a committee in the name of investigating the TOD meter records maintained by the NEA. Khadka however had to step back in the case following a stay order by the Supreme Court.
The newly appointed NEA Chief Hitendra Dev Shakya, who is a handpicked personality by Minister Khadka, has now extended an olive branch to the industrialists to resolve the issue. Ironically, Energy Minister Khadka insists that he is on the side of recovering the dues of the dedicated feeders.
Speaking at a program last week, Minister Khadka urged the Electricity Regulatory Commission to approve the actual bills to be paid by the industrialists. “I have never said that the industrialists must not pay the dues for the facilities they had used. As the authority sent them the bills, it’s now the job of the regulatory body to verify whether the bill amounts are correct or not,” Khadka said.
Source : Republica
