The conflict between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Executive Director Kulman Ghising has intensified over the delay in restoring electricity to industries that have not paid their arrears for dedicated feeders and trunk lines.
A cabinet meeting on Sunday evening directed that electricity supply be restored within 24 hours to industries disconnected for non-payment, that arrears be collected within 15 days, and that the inquiry report prepared by the commission chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal be made public.
Ghising, however, argued that the NEA's board of directors should make the decision to reconnect the electricity. Following this, the board met on Tuesday and agreed to restore supply to 34 industries by Tuesday evening but the decision was not implemented because of NEA had already made commitment to sell electricity to India. NEA board member and Ministry of Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya confirmed that the ministry's letter instructing the reconnection was sent at 5:30 pm on Monday, and the NEA should have restored the supply within 24 hours.
Despite this, electricity was not restored by Tuesday evening. Ghising explained that the delay was due to potential disruptions in the scheduled export of electricity to India. “We’ve already sent the export schedule for Wednesday. If we fail to meet it, we’ll incur a penalty,” he said. NEA spokesperson Chandan Kumar Ghosh added that the reconnection could not proceed because the industries had not paid the required reconnection fees, and the electricity was already booked for export to India.
Sources indicate that Ghising insisted the industries should guarantee payment before reconnection. He expressed frustration, saying, “We have been instructed to collect the dues within 15 days. If it is not possible, the government should collect them.”
Meanwhile, tensions between Ghising and Energy Minister Deepak Khadka have grown. The NEA has argued that the Lal Commission report, which the government is implementing, is biased in favor of the industrialists. The report suggests adjusting the tariff for electricity supplied through dedicated feeders and trunk lines and re-evaluating charges for the period between 2015 and 2018. This has been contentious, as the NEA disagrees with the government’s decision to implement the report’s recommendations.
The rift between the two deepened after Minister Khadka requested a detailed explanation from Ghising on October 9 regarding arrears and NEA operations. Ghising failed to provide the requested 15-point clarification, prompting another request for a 6-point explanation on October 29. Ghising cited delays in collecting data from provincial offices due to the Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath holidays.
The increasing tension has led to allegations that Khadka is seeking to remove Ghising. However, Energy Secretary Acharya dismissed these claims, stating that it is standard procedure for the ministry to request work updates from heads of subordinate bodies.
In the meantime, a writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the government's decision to restore power to industries with unpaid dues. Advocate Khadananda Kandel filed the petition on Tuesday, and the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday.
