The last deadline given by the Nepal Electricity Authority to pay dedicated and trunkline dues expired at midnight on Sunday. Earlier, electricity was cut off to industries with the highest arrears as soon as the deadline expired.

But this time, the NEA did not cut off electricity because it is Lakshmi Puja on Monday. “The decision to cut off electricity on Monday was made to allow Lakshmi Puja,” said NEA Executive Director Manoj Silwal.

The NEA has said that the power lines of six industries were cut off on Tuesday morning as soon as Lakshmi Puja was over. According to NEA spokesperson Rajan Dhakal, the power lines of Jagadamba Steel, Reliance Spinning Mills, Shivam Cement, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhanchi Cement Industries and Triveni Spinning Mills were cut off.

According to NEA, Jagadamba has Rs 1.6 billion, Reliance Rs 753.7 million, Shivam Rs 778.8 million, Ghorahi Rs 508.5 million, Arghakhanchi Rs 448.4 million and Triveni Rs 321 million outstanding dues. This arrears are additional charges for using electricity through dedicated and trunk lines from 2072 Magh to 2075 Baisakh.

Industries whose lines were cut off due to non-payment of dues

The Authority had issued a notice on 12 Asoj to pay the dues by 17 Kartik, stating that all the activities related to the administrative review had been canceled. The notice mentioned that 28-month installment facility would be provided to industrialists who wanted to pay the dues. On 13 Asoj, the Authority had corrected the previous notice and re-issued a notice to pay the dues by 2 Kartik.

Executive Director of the Authority, Silwal, said that a counter has been arranged so that the industry can pay its dues even during the public holiday of Tihar. He said that if the first installment is paid in installments, the disconnected line will be reconnected at any time.

According to the Authority, Samrat Cement, Rolpa Cement and Nav Nepal Plastic Industries had already started paying their dues in installments. However, after paying some amount in 28 installments, they stopped paying the installments from 2082 Baisakh.

Samrat Cement had received approval from the Authority to pay the additional duty of Rs 37.7 million for dedicated and trunk line usage from 2072 Magh to 2075 Baisakh in monthly installments of Rs 1.349 million each. The industry had stopped paying since last Baisakh after paying four installments. The industry has paid three installments of Rs 40.47 million at a time, and the installments up to Jestha have been paid.

According to the approved installment facility, only seven installments have been paid out of the 11 installments that were to be paid from Ashad to Asoj. A letter has been sent again to pay the remaining 4 installments of Rs 5.396 million and the industry has said that it will pay the remaining installments regularly by paying the said amount.

Approval was obtained from the authority to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 9.912 million of Rolpa Cement in monthly installments of Rs 3.54 million per installment. After paying 6 installments, the industry stopped paying. The industry has reached a stage where it has paid five installments of Rs 1.77 million in one go and paid regular installments. Now the industry has 17 installments to pay.

Similarly, Nav Nepal Plastic Industries has paid the outstanding amount of Rs 1.23 million in 12 installments. Laxmi Steel has started paying the outstanding tariff for consuming electricity from dedicated and trunk lines. Out of the Rs 237.9 million dues, Laxmi Steel has paid Rs 8.498 million in installments. Laxmi Steel had also stopped paying installments since last Baisakh.

According to the authority, Hama Iron, Hulas Steel and Ashok Steel have also paid the first installment. Hulas has received approval to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 141.2 million for the premium fee for dedicated and trunkline usage from 2072 Magh to 2075 Baisakh in monthly installments of Rs 50.43 million each.

Similarly, another Ashok Steel from Simara, which has an outstanding amount of Rs 175.8 million, has also paid the first installment. Ashok has paid Rs 6.3 million by taking the facility of 28 installments. Hama has paid Rs 20.9 million as the first installment out of the Rs 58.5 million dues.

Similarly, Sarvottam Cement and Shubhashree Agni Cement have also paid the first installment on Friday. Vinayak Spat, Shubhalakshmi Polym, GB Textile 1 and GB Textile 2 have also started paying their dues by taking the installment facility. But some industries with large amounts of arrears have not started paying yet.

As of Monday noon, 13 industries have started paying their dues by taking the installment facility, said NEA spokesperson Dhakal. ‘As of Monday, 13 industries have started paying their dues, some industries have already paid,’ he said, ‘We have taken the process forward as per the NEA Act, Rules and Regulations for the industries that have not come to pay their dues.’

The industrialists have filed a petition for review in a letter registered with Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s secretariat last Friday. The industrialists have raised questions about the NEA board meeting that canceled the entire review process while the petition was under consideration. The industrialists have said that they are ready to pay the arrears that will be established on the basis of evidence as recommended by the Lal Commission.

‘We had duly filed a review petition against the authority for demanding special rates from us without any evidence, even though the authority had not provided electricity,’ the letter from the industrialists states. ‘While the said petition was pending, the board of directors of the authority decided to cancel the entire review process and sent a letter to disconnect the electricity line if the arrears were not paid within 2 Kartik, so we are forced to file this petition before the honorable sir.’

According to Shyam Kishor Yadav, who is also a member of the board of directors of the authority, 46 industries, including those that have started paying their arrears by taking the installment facility, have filed an application for administrative review. The meeting of the board of directors of the authority held on 21 Baisakh 2082 had decided to issue a notice to the industrialists to appeal within a month. An industrialist alleges that the authority has not taken any decision even after an additional month of notice was extended.

Industries on the list of lines to be cut off due to non-payment of dues and the amount due to the three

The last time the NEA cut off electricity to 40 industries at once on 8 Kartik 2081. The cabinet meeting held on 25 Kartik 2081 had decided to collect the arrears within 15 days by calculating them on the basis of TOD meters. Immediately on 27 Kartik, the NEA's board of directors issued a notice to pay the arrears by 12 Mangsir.

At that time, on 11 Mangsir, the commission had given a four-point directive to the NEA not to cut off electricity to industries. Due to the dispute over the arrears of dedicated feeders and trunk lines, differences were growing between the then executive director of the NEA, Kulman Ghising, and the then energy minister, Deepak Khadka. The then energy minister, Khadka, had repeatedly asked for clarification, and Ghising was removed by the cabinet meeting on 11 Chaitra 2081. The same Ghising has now become the Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

The lines of these industries that have taken an interim order from the court

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will not be cut .

Industry

 Due amount Maruti Cement