Kathmandu, Jan.3: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has arranged that consumers who consume electricity from dedicated and trunk lines can settle the tariff arrears in up to a maximum of 60 installments.

The meeting of the Board of Directors of the Authority held on Monday evening under the chairmanship of the Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet increased the arrangement of installments to pay the outstanding amount.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that a special arrangement has been made by the Board of Directors to facilitate installment payments for the same number of months or maximum 60 months for which the bill is issued.

In the past, in case of load-shedding, the customers of the industrial, businesses and non-commercial categories who took electricity supply from the dedicated feeder and trunk lines that continuously supplied electricity, were repeatedly requested through public notices for payment of electricity tariffs with premiums.

After they ignored the NEA’s request and refused to pay the tariff arrears, NEA started disconnecting the power supply from December 22, 2023, according to Electricity Distribution Regulations, 2078, clause 31 and Electricity Tariff Collection Regulations, 2078, clause 10.

In the past, common consumers were experiencing 17-18 hours of load shedding daily, while 239 industries and businesses and non-commercial customers were consuming more than 20 hours through dedicated feeders and trunk lines.

Out of 239 customers, 178 customers paid the electricity tariff to the Authority on time, including the premium for dedicated and trunk lines.

The total outstanding amount of 61 industries who consumed electricity from dedicated and trunk lines till mid-December 2023, is Rs. 22.24 billion, said the NEA.

Out of this, the electricity supply of 23 industries with arrears of more than Rs. 50 million have been cut. The Authority has a strategy of gradually disconnecting the lines of other industries that bear arrears.

Electricity of Himal Iron reconnected after payment of first installment

Himal Iron operating in Parwanipur under the Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor, has started paying its arrears for electricity consumption from dedicated and trunk line. Manoj Silwal, Deputy Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, said that Himal Iron paid Rs. 2.711 million for the first installment out of Rs. 81.2 million arrears.

Silwal said that the power line of this industry was connected at 9 o’clock on Monday night after the industry paid the first installment of dues. The Authority had cut the line of the industry on Friday. The industry has said that it will pay its outstanding amount in 36 installments.