KATHMANDU: Despite Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's verbal instructions, the written directives of the Electricity Regulatory Commission, and strong support for the industrialists' stance, the government has failed to restore electricity to six industries as of Monday.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) halted power supply to six industries after they did not pay the tariff for the use of the dedicated feeder and trunk line. The affected industries include Reliance Spinning Mills, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhanchi Cement, Jagdamba Synthetic, Hulas Steel, and Jagdamba Steel. Other industries with outstanding tariffs have also claimed that their electricity supply has been disrupted by the NEA.

However, the board of directors of the NEA, chaired by Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, failed to reach a concrete decision regarding reconnecting the power to these industries. A board member informed New Business Age that the lack of consensus among board members prevented a decision.

"Many members in the executive committee meeting agreed that the line should be reconnected, but the decision could not be made because some, including NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, did not agree," said the board member.

Prime Minister Oli had instructed Ghising to reconnect the power immediately on Friday. On Sunday, the Electricity Regulatory Commission wrote to the NEA to restore electricity to the affected industries. The commission stated that a letter was sent to the NEA to reconnect the power according to the Consumer Interest Protection Directive. However, the NEA indicated that they would not reconnect the power until they received written instructions, as stipulated in the guidelines.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Sunday, the Prime Minister strongly criticized Kulman Ghising, accusing the NEA of trying to raise tariffs forcefully. The Prime Minister defended his stance after parliamentarians protested during the House of Representatives meeting on Monday, arguing that the Prime Minister was siding with industrialists despite a court order to raise electricity tariffs. Particularly, MPs from the CPN (Maoist Center) criticized the Prime Minister.

Emphasizing that the ongoing tariff dispute should be studied and resolved, Prime Minister Oli noted the frequent disconnection and reconnection of electricity in industries. He denied acting on inappropriate terms and settings. On Sunday, in the House of Representatives, Oli criticized the NEA's leadership, accusing them of cutting power indiscriminately. He highlighted the significant difference of opinion between the NEA and industrialists and questioned why the NEA targeted only six industries for power cuts.