Even though the Electricity Regulatory Commission has approached Panchakanya Plastic Industries and Panchakanya Steel Authority to overturn the unjust decision to pay the outstanding electricity tariff, the commission's bench has decided not to issue an interim order on Kartik 30.
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Butwal Cement, which has been closed for months due to a dispute over dedicated feeder and trunkline arrears, has also paid the first installment. Butwal paid Rs 6.592 million for the first installment on Monday, said Nepal Electricity Authority spokesperson Rajan Dhakal. Butwal Cement had an arrears of Rs 184.549 million.
The NEA had cut off electricity to 23 industries on October 4 and 7 for non-payment of dues. The NEA had stated that the electricity was cut at that time as Butwal and Everest Rolling Mills had been closed for a few months.
On October 17, Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kulman Ghising, Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal and Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chand Prasad Dhakal agreed to simplify the payment of dedicated and trunk line tariffs and make arrangements for hearing reviews.
In the discussion, it was said that the industrialists had verbally agreed to pay the amount equivalent to the first installment out of the 28 installments given by the NEA as a deposit, not as an 'installment' but as a 'disputed amount', and that the electricity line would be connected immediately and then proceed with the review, appeal and judicial process.
The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has sent a letter to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation on November 21, requesting necessary facilitation regarding the payment of additional premium tariff for dedicated trunk lines and making arrangements to hear the review. The letter has also asked the relevant bodies, industrialists and businessmen, and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry to provide necessary facilitation for operating industries. The Ministry of Energy has stated that it has already sent a letter to the NEA asking it to implement the letter from the Prime Minister's Office.
Stating that the letter sent by the government for facilitation has been received, NEA spokesperson Dhakal said that the Electricity Regulatory Commission is conducting a review. 'The Electricity Regulatory Commission is a regulatory and quasi-judicial body, some industries have gone to the commission and are also going to court,' he said.
Panchakanya Plastic Industries and Panchakanya Steel had approached the Regulatory Commission demanding compensation for the unfair decision of the NEA to pay the arrears of electricity tariff to consumers who had taken electricity supply from dedicated feeders and trunk lines. The commission bench has decided that an interim order will not be issued on Kartik 30.
The meeting of the Authority's Board of Directors held on 21 Baisakh 2082 had decided to issue a notice to the industrialists to appeal within a month. A notice has been issued extending the time by one month. According to Shyam Kishore Yadav, who is also a member of the Authority's Board of Directors, 46 industries that had started paying their dues under the installment facility and had not started, have applied for administrative review. However, on 12 Asoj, the Authority had issued a notice to pay the dues within 17 Kartik, stating that all the activities related to the administrative review had been canceled.
The notice states that 28 months of installment facility will be provided to industrialists who want to pay their dues. On 13 Asoj 2082, the Authority had corrected the previous notice and issued a new notice to pay the dues within 2 Kartik. Immediately, the Authority started cutting electricity from 7 Kartik.
The Girish Chandra Lal Commission formed by the government had stated that the amount will not have to be collected for the period from 2072 Shrawan to 2072 Pus, when the electricity tariff has not been determined. The commission has suggested that the arrears cannot be collected for the third period, i.e. from 2075 Jestha to 2077 Ashar, as load shedding has ended. The commission has suggested that the arrears from 2072 Magh to 2075 Baisakh be collected. The NEA claims that the additional tariff for that period is Rs 6.6 billion. The NEA says that since 60 days have elapsed as per the rules, 25 percent additional fee should also be paid.
