Five trade unions of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) have demanded immediate action to recover billions of rupees in long-pending electricity dues, particularly from street lighting and dedicated and trunk-line consumers.
The Urjashil Karmachari Sangh, Karmachari Kalyan Parishad, Karmachari Union, Rastriya Karmachari Union and Karmachari Sangh jointly submitted an 11-point demand to the NEA Board, giving it a three-day ultimatum to address their concerns by August 17, the authority’s 41st anniversary.
The unions argued that recovering outstanding electricity bills should be treated as a matter of institutional and national importance. They warned that continued non-payment could weaken the NEA’s financial position and limit its ability to invest in electricity infrastructure and expand services.
They also expressed concern over what they described as efforts to weaken the NEA, divide its assets and operations, and undermine its institutional strength and autonomy.
According to the unions, the NEA is not merely a commercial organization but a strategic institution essential to Nepal’s energy security and economic development. They called for greater coordination among the NEA Board, management, employees, consumers and other stakeholders to protect the authority’s interests.
The unions further warned that weakening the NEA at a time when Nepal is seeking to increase electricity generation, expand domestic consumption and strengthen cross-border electricity trade could undermine the country’s broader energy ambitions.
