The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has formed a three-member committee to study the bills issued by the Nepal Electricity Authority for the dedicated feeder and trunk line users during the time of load shedding.
The new committee was formed on Monday to amicably settle the disputes related to electricity tariffs for dedicated feeder and trunkline. The committee, led by Professor Arvind Kumar Mishra of National College of Engineering, is tasked with collecting and verifying the necessary facts and evidence related arrears based on Time of Day (TOD) meters, in line with the recommendations made by a commission formed earlier under the coordination of former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal.
The dispute, which centers on industrialists’ refusal to pay electricity bills calculated without TOD meters, involves around Rs 6 billion in outstanding arrears, which has increased to Rs 8 billion with fines. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) had charged a premium for uninterrupted electricity supply during load-shedding from 2016 to 2018. However, industrialists argued the charges were unfair and demanded adjustments based on TOD meters.
In January 2024, the government formed the Lal Commission to resolve the dispute. The commission revised the initially reported Rs 20 billion arrears to Rs 6 billion. While industrialists welcomed the revision, the NEA criticized the report for favoring industries, calling it unjust. The new committee will verify facts and review invoices to finalize the dues, aiming to settle the prolonged disagreement.
Other committee members include Chartered Accountant Sujan Kumar Kafle and Shriramraj Pandey. Energy Minister Dipak Khadka emphasized the government’s commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring fairness for all stakeholders.
