Kulman Ghising Moves to Recover Unpaid Electricity Dues as Energy Minister

Kulman Ghising, sacked in March 2025 as managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) by the KP Sharma Oli government over his strict stance on collecting outstanding dues of electricity used during peak load-shedding periods through dedicated feeders and trunklines, has announced that recovering these dues will be his first action as Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. He assumed office on Monday, September 15.

Industries drawing electricity through dedicated feeders and trunk lines have reportedly failed to clear over Rs 8 billion in outstanding payments.

Ghising, who became a household name after NEA, under his leadership, ended load shedding for residential consumers in 2017 and industrial users in 2018, also holds the portfolios of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development in the Sushila Karki-led interim government formed following last week’s youth protests that toppled the Oli government.

His decision to pursue unpaid electricity payments had previously put him at odds not only with KP Sharma Oli but also with then-Energy Minister Deepak Khadka. The conflict ultimately led to Ghising being replaced by Hitendra Dev Shakya, whom Ghising had earlier succeeded.

Ghising’s removal five months before the end of his four-year term sparked widespread discontent. Tensions between Ghising and the government had been simmering since the formation of the Congress-UML coalition in July 2024. Prior to his sacking, he was asked to provide clarifications on multiple allegations, including the unauthorised signing of a bilateral energy trade deal with India.

In October 2024, NEA cut electricity to several firms over unpaid bills, drawing criticism from the government. Supply was later restored following a Cabinet decision, but Ghising had warned of possible disruptions if dues were not cleared. Despite this, firms failed to settle their payments, and the ministry instructed NEA to delay disconnections until a committee reviewing Time-of-Day (TOD) meters completed its report.