KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has notified industries that they must pay the arrears for using the dedicated and trunk lines. The NEA sent letters informing industrialists that they owe Rs 6.65 billion in arrears, with a payment deadline of 15 days from Monday.

NEA spokesperson Chandan Kumar Ghosh stated that the NEA has sent letters to most of the industries, demanding payment of arrears accumulated from mid-January 2016 to mid-May 2018. The NEA took a decision to this effect on Sunday, and letters were dispatched to all the defaulting industries on Monday. Ghosh also mentioned that a 25 percent penalty will be charged on the overdue amounts if the arrears are not cleared on time.

According to sources, letters have been sent to Argakhanchi Cement, Reliance Spinning Mills, Jagdamba Cement, Ghorahi Cement, and other industries. The letters stipulate that "all amounts must be paid within 15 days of receipt. If the fee is not paid within the specified period, penalties will be imposed as per the law."

Pashupati Murarka, owner of Argakhanchi Cement, criticized the NEA for irresponsibly sending a circular to the industry. He noted that the NEA sent a letter dated Sunday, demanding payment for electricity tariffs from mid-January 2016 to mid-May 2018 within 15 days.

The NEA has billed Argakhanchi Cement Rs 448.6 million. However, the letter does not specify how many units of electricity were consumed during the review period or details of the hours of electricity usage on specific days.

"The bill sent by the authority appears to be arbitrary. Such a baseless bill cannot be paid,” Murarka told New Business Age. He added that, according to the Girish Chandra Lal Commission's report, the outstanding amount can only be paid if the NEA provides a bill based on sufficient evidence as per the law.

There is a long-standing dispute between industrialists and the NEA over the settlement of dues for using electricity from dedicated feeders and trunk lines during the time of load-shedding. 

The NEA had supplied electricity to industries through dedicated feeder and trunk lines by charging a premium of 65 percent in the electricity tariffs.

The industrialists claim that the NEA has billed them for the electricity even after the end of load-shedding.