Kathmandu, March 16: The Electricity Regulatory Commission has rejected claims made by industrialists in the dispute over dedicated and trunk line electricity tariffs, clearing the way for the Nepal Electricity Authority to collect pending dues.
The commission issued the decision on Sunday after hearing the cases of Panchakanya Plastic and Panchakanya Steel. The companies had asked the commission to scrap what they called an unfair decision by the Nepal Electricity Authority to collect outstanding electricity charges from consumers using dedicated feeders and trunk lines. They also sought compensation.
The commission ruled that the claims did not hold.
According to the authority, Panchakanya Plastic still owes Rs 2.463 million, while Panchakanya Steel has unpaid dues of Rs 5.211 million.
At the authority’s request, Panchakanya Plastic has already paid Rs 77,975 and Panchakanya Steel has paid Rs 186,000 toward the tariff.
Commission Chair Ram Prasad Dhital said the claims made by the industries could not be established. Following the decision, the authority now has a clear path to recover additional electricity dues.
If the businesses are not satisfied with the ruling, they can challenge the decision in court.
The commission has been holding regular hearings on disputes related to electricity tariffs. It says decisions are made based on existing laws and past precedents.
During the hearing, lawyers representing the applicants and three officials from the legal department of the Nepal Electricity Authority appeared before the commission.
The commission acts as the regulatory body for Nepal’s energy sector and handles disputes in the field. Parties can approach the court only if they disagree with the commission’s decision.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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