KATHMANDU: Employees of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) have raised their voices in protest against the recent government directive requiring reconnection of electricity lines to industries within 24 hours, even if the industries have unpaid dues.
In a letter submitted Monday to the Minister of Energy and the NEA Board, the NEA Employee Welfare Council and the National Employees’ Union called for the government to mandate payment of outstanding dues before reconnection.
The letter emphasizes that NEA disconnects power lines for general consumers if bills remain unpaid for over 60 days, asserting that the same rule should apply to industrial clients.
“Industries, like individual consumers, must pay their dues for electricity consumed,” the letter, signed by Council President Shri Prasad Acharya and Union Senior Vice President Bhuminanda Aryal, stated.
The employees highlighted that NEA had already taken steps to ease financial burdens on defaulting industries, with 14 companies—two of which are government-owned cement plants—benefiting from a 56-installment payment option introduced by the NEA Board.
Employees argue that allowing reconnection without full payment disrupts NEA’s cash flow and could hinder future operations, as it may reduce collections from regular customers who consistently settle their bills.
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