Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Kulman Ghising has reaffirmed his commitment to recovering long-pending payments from industries using dedicated feeder and trunk lines, despite strong resistance from the industrial sector.
Ghising, who previously served as Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and was dismissed following disputes over the same issue, has now returned to government leadership under the new administration formed after the Gen Z protests. His first decision as minister has been to pursue overdue collections.
According to the NEA, 49 industries owe around Rs 8 billion for using dedicated feeders and trunk lines. While serving as NEA chief, Ghising had cut power to some industries over unpaid bills, prompting a backlash that eventually led to his removal. Industrialists, however, claimed they were willing to pay only if bills were issued based on Time-of-Day (ToD) meters.
A government commission, led by former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal, was formed to resolve the dispute, but disagreements persisted between Ghising, the industries, and the government over the commission’s recommendations.
The NEA has been struggling to recover these dues since 2015, when it introduced premium tariffs for factories consuming high electricity through dedicated feeders and trunk lines. Despite repeated notices threatening disconnection, industrialists have resisted payment, often lobbying high-ranking officials and political leaders to pressure the NEA into backing down.
Ghising, however, has remained firm in his stance, reiterating that the dues must be collected to ensure fairness and strengthen the financial health of the NEA.
