KATHMANDU: Concerns have been raised by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) staff members over a new government order that requires electrical lines to be reconnected to businesses within 24 hours, regardless of whether they have unpaid bills. The National Employees' Union and the NEA Employee Welfare Council have formally expressed their opposition to this direction in a letter sent to the NEA Board and the Minister of Energy, sparking protests.

In their letter, the employees have called for the government to require industries to clear their outstanding bills before their power connections are restored. They pointed out that NEA disconnects power supply to general consumers if their bills remain unpaid for over 60 days, and argued that the same policy should apply to industrial customers.

Emphasizing that enterprises must pay for the electricity they use, just like individual users do, the letter was signed by Union Senior Vice President Bhuminanda Aryal and Council President Shri Prasad Acharya. They emphasized the importance of enforcing this payment requirement to enhance equity and maintain operational integrity.

The staff emphasized the steps NEA has previously taken to provide allowances for defaulting industries, such as providing a 56-month payment schedule. The 14 businesses that have benefited from this payment plan, which allows them more time to pay their bills without sacrificing their access to energy, include two government-owned cement mills.

Allowing reconnection without payment of dues, according to the NEA staff, would upset the authority's cash flow and make it more difficult for it to offer all consumers consistent service. They cautioned that this may potentially create a precedent that makes it more difficult to collect from loyal clients who regularly make their bill payments on schedule.

Employees voiced concern that this strategy would negatively impact NEA's future operations and financial health because it would discourage regular consumers from paying their bills on time and result in lower payments from industries.