Industrialists seek political intervention as NEA continues hasty power Line disconnections

KATHMANDU: Former Prime Ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and KP Sharma Oli have voiced their commitment to preventing injustice against industrialists amidst the recent rush by Kul Man Ghising, the Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), to disconnect power lines.

Allegations of pressuring industrialists to pay through the issuance of fake bills have surfaced as the authority cut the lines of the industries.

In response to the dedicated and trunk line dispute, affected industrialists, along with the Confederation of Nepali Industries, held meetings with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli. Both former Prime Ministers assured the industrialists that they should not be compelled to pay for unused electricity, expressing regret over the government’s actions tarnishing the reputation of industrialists.

Oli emphasized the need for resolving the dispute within the existing legal framework, condemning the arbitrary cutting off of electricity without proper evidence in the face of disputes. Deuba pledged to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister and advocated for reconnecting power lines to the affected industries before seeking a legal solution.

The Federation of Nepalese Industries and Commerce issued a statement urging the formation of a high-level commission to address the dedicated and trunk line dispute. In the evening, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) challenged the Electricity Authority to present Time of the Day (TOD) meter data during a press conference.

Industrialists reiterated their readiness to pay bills if provided evidence of electricity consumption. Despite these challenges from industrialists, the authority has not yet released the TOD meter data and failed to respond to the district courts’ requests in the ongoing dispute.