Thirteen industries are still not connected to electricity due to additional premiums paid for consuming electricity through dedicated and trunk lines.

The Nepal Electricity Authority had cut off the electricity supply to 23 industries on Kartik 4 and Kartik 7. Of these, 13 industries still have electricity cut off. Out of the total 25 industries that had to pay their dues, two industries had already shut down.

According to the authority, the lines were connected after Gharana Foods and Goenka Foods paid the first installment in the middle of Tihar. Since then, the lines of the disconnected industries were connected after one industry paid the installment on Monday 4, Tuesday 3 and Wednesday, according to the authority.

Four industries paid the deposit amount, electricity was connected

Industries were yet to pay the premium for the use of dedicated and trunk lines from 2072 Magh to 2075 Baisakh. However, the industrialists have been claiming that the amount paid to the NEA was not an installment but a 'deposit'. The NEA has stated that there has been no formal agreement on this.

A middle-of-the-road proposal was put forward in a discussion held on Monday between Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal, Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Anil Sinha, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal and President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chandra Prasad Dhakal to resolve the dispute over dedicated and trunk lines. It is said that in the discussion, the industrialists verbally agreed that the amount equivalent to the first of the 28 installments would be paid as a deposit, not as an 'installment' but as a 'disputed amount', that the electricity line would be connected immediately, and that they would then proceed with the review, appeal, and judicial process. Industries with power cut and outstanding amount