KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun ‘Ananta’ has directed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) not to levy penalty on customers when meter reading not done.
Minister Pun summoned NEA Managing Director Lekhnath Koirala and Deputy Managing Director and Chief of Consumer and Distribution Directorate Harraj Neupane to the ministry on Wednesday and instructed them to that end.
Billing for most of the domestic and industrial customers of NEA has not been done due to the lockdown.
After receiving complaints from some customers that they were fined during the period even if meter reading was not performed, Minister Pun immediately called the top leadership and instructed them not to impose fines.
Minister Pun has also instructed to reconcile the amount with the fee to be paid by the customer next month if the fine has been taken earlier.
“Reconcile the fines with the paid fee and make arrangements not to levy fines,” said Minister Pun.
Meanwhile, NEA has immediately implemented Minister Pun’s directive.
Koirala said that he has instructed the distribution centers across the country not to collect any fine as soon as he returned to the office from the ministry.
Similarly, Minister Pun directed to solve the problem immediately in case of a power outage due to bad weather, system malfunction or other technical reasons. He suggests forming an ‘immediate response team’ for that.
Stating that 9 million students are taking online classes at home, Minister Pun clarified that their studies would be affected if electricity was not regular.
Minister Pun directed not to allow any weakness in the distribution system in the absence of the main leadership of NEA.
“Let there be no small glitch in the distribution system,” he said. “If there is a problem, there should be an immediate solution.”
Similarly, Minister Pun has also directed to immediately implement the discount given by the government to domestic and industrial customers during the lockdown period.
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