KATHMANDU: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the Federal Parliament has directed the government to collect the electricity charge bill amount from industrialists using dedicated and trunk line facilities.
The meeting held on Sunday directed the authorities to collect the amount within a month from those who have not paid the tariff, said committee PAC Chairman Bharat Kumar Shah.
“It has been decided to collect Rs 10.14 billion for trunk line and dedicated facilities to be paid to Nepal Electricity Authority within a month,” said Chairman Shah.
The Committee gave the directives as per the suggestion of the report of the sub-committee formed under the coordination of committee member Minendra Rijal to study the arrears of dedicated feeder and trunk line of Nepal Electricity Authority.
In the meeting of the committee, lawmaker Surya Pathak said that the report of the sub-committee should be passed and instructions should be given to collect the arrears.
Lawmaker Pradip Yadav said that industrialists and traders would take special facilities 24 hours a day even during load shedding but action should be taken against them for non-payment.
He said, “Industrialists in power have not paid the amount due to the government.” lawmaker Mohammad Ishtiaq Rai said that the amount should be collected with interest and compensation as it has not been paid for years.
He opined that the industrialists are likely to take advantage of the power center if they do not have to give instructions to raise the amount immediately. “In one house, in the house of a lower-class family, the line is cut if the authority does not pay the tariff on time,” he said.
Those who work under political cover will not be paid for tens of billions of years? ‘ Lawmaker Dharmashila Chapagain questioned. lawmaker Rajan KC also stressed the need for the committee to take care of its strict adherence to its directives.
‘Giving instructions and giving up and remaining silent also raises questions about its legitimacy. We need to find out what is going on in the past, ”he said. Lawmaker Chanda Chaudhary said that traders are earning money by taking special facilities from the government.
She also demanded that the Supreme Court should issue directions for the immediate recovery of the arrears. “Whether it’s by locking up the industry, by selling property or by selling land, you have to give instructions to collect the arrears,” she said. “Whatever the government wants, it can be done.” Rules, laws should be applied equally to all.
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