KATHMANDU: MP Lekhnath Dahal of the CPN-Maoist Center has accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of lying about the electricity payment issues involving industries.
During a parliamentary session on Monday, Dahal claimed that the Prime Minister made false statements regarding the electricity dues of various industries. He stated that 61 industries have not paid their electricity bills and have amassed substantial profits, owing a total of NPR 22.26 billion in unpaid dues.
Dahal explained that NPR 14 billion is under legal consideration for both the first and most recent periods. He added that the district and high courts have already issued orders to recover the remaining NPR 8.26 billion. He mentioned that the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has also instructed for the dues to be collected.
“The report of the Auditor General and the Lal Commission has prompted the then Council of Ministers to decide on recovering the NPR 8.26 billion,” Dahal said. “Despite repeated written notices from the Electricity Authority, the industries refused to pay their dues, leading to the disconnection of their electricity supply.”
Dahal accused Prime Minister Oli of lying from the rostrum on Sunday. “The Prime Minister lied outright. He attempted to obscure the truth with misinformation,” Dahal said. “He disregarded all the evidence and, under the influence and pressure of intermediaries, reconnected the electricity supply and announced the waiver of the dues.”
In response, Prime Minister Oli clarified that he did not mean to suggest that the tariffs owed to Nepal Electricity should not be paid. Rather, he emphasized that the tariffs for the power used by the industries must indeed be paid.
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