. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has given 2 working days to the consumers who have taken electricity supply from dedicated feeder and truck line to pay the outstanding electricity bills.

Industrialists are in a dilemma as time is running out. It is said that more pressure has been created on the remaining industries after three industries cleared their dues on Thursday.

A meeting of NEA’s Board of Directors held on September 26 has directed the NEA to clear the outstanding electricity tariff by October 18. The counters will remain open on Saturdays as well, a public holiday.

The authority has said that the facility of installment for a maximum of 28 months will be provided to the consumers willing to pay the amount in monthly installments. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has stated that action will be taken as per the Electricity Tariff Collection Bylaw, 2078 if the arrears are not paid within the stipulated time.

This controversy is not new. There was a lot of controversy on this issue in the past. When the current Energy Minister Kulman Ghising was the chief of NEA, he had made a lot of efforts to collect electricity bills. NEA could not collect the tariff due to lack of coordination between the government and NEA. Now Ghising has become a minister. After becoming the minister, Ghising is under the impression that the government will collect electricity tariff at any cost.

These three industries have paid the dues of dedicated and trunk lines.

They are not ready to pay. Some entrepreneurs are now in a mood to pay the government saying that it will recover the remaining dues at any cost, while some are in favor of not paying the arrears immediately as the NEA’s bill itself is fake. In the midst of this confusion, the industrialists tried to meet Prime Minister Sushila Karki with three demands. Prime Minister Karki said that Minister Ghising has all the responsibility regarding the tariff issue.

According to sources, he tried to meet the Prime Minister with three options that seemed to be some flexibility in clearing the dues. The entrepreneurs have demanded an extension of the time stipulated in the notice dated September 26, removal of 50 per cent compensation and extension of 28 shares. Out of the three demands of the businessmen, the government has indicated to increase the installment of 28 months. There are conditions for that as well.

“The government cannot do anything to extend the deadline for the three demands put forth by the entrepreneurs and not to take 50 percent compensation,” said an official. For this, the industrialists have to make a commitment to pay the first installment and pay the remaining amount. “There is no other option,” the official said.