Tariff Dispute Continues as Government Moves to Recover Pending Industrial Electricity Dues

The long-standing dispute over electricity tariffs charged to large industries has taken a new turn, as the government has directed the immediate recovery of outstanding dues.

The issue revolves around the tariff for electricity supplied through dedicated feeders and trunk lines between January 2017 and April 2018. While industrialists argue that charges should be based on Time-of-Day (TOD) meters, many bills were issued without using this system, sparking disagreement.

In response, Energy Minister Deepak Khadka summoned key officials to the ministry, including Secretary Suresh Acharya, Chair of the Electricity Regulatory Commission Ram Prasad Dhital and Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Hitendra Dev Shakya, instructing them to begin collecting the remaining dues immediately.

The decision follows the recommendations of a committee led by former Supreme Court judge Girish Chandra Lal, which concluded that dues should be calculated using TOD meter data wherever available. This approach had been endorsed by the Council of Ministers in a meeting held on November 12 last year.

Industrialists have said they are willing to clear dues if TOD-based billing is used. However, there is still resistance regarding amounts not calculated through TOD data.

The NEA has now been tasked with carrying out the collection process based on the committee’s findings, raising hopes that this long-running issue might finally move toward resolution.