The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has demanded formation of a high-level commission to resolve the arrears disputes of trunk and dedicated lines.

Issuing a press statement regarding a long-standing dispute related to the dedicated and trunk lines arrears on Monday, the FNCCI demanded a powerful commission to resolve the dispute between the Authority and the industrialists.

FNCCI showed its serious attention to the fact that power lines of industries were cut without resolving the disputes related to the payment of dedicated and trunk lines connected to industries.

The FNCCI demanded that a commission, having representatives also from private sector, should be formed to give an impartial opinion after analysing the past studies, current situation and Time of the Day (TOD) metres, among others.

The Federation has requested the Nepal Electricity Authority and other related agencies to reconnect the electricity supply of the industries Until a final decision is made on the issue. It also requested the NEA not to cut the lines of other industries.

“If this issue is not addressed immediately, industries will be shut down, and it will affect employment and revenue. During the current economic recession, the Federation is confident that the government will take initiatives to solve the problem by taking the issues of the private sector seriously,” said the FNCCI.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has emphasised that the dispute over dedicated and trunk lines, which has been going on for a long time, should be resolved immediately through discussion rather than inviting a tussle.

Organising a press conference on Monday evening, President of CNI Rajesh Kumar Agrawal said that the disputes on the arrears of dedicated lines should be addressed adopting a middle way.

He said that it was not appropriate to cut the electricity of the industries which were paying regular bills even during the disputed period.

He said that now there was a dispute only over the additional bill, adding that it was not appropriate move of the Nepal Electricity Authority to cut the line.

He also demanded an immediate solution to the dispute by reconnecting the lines of the industries where the power supply was cut off.

On that occasion, Dhruba Thapa, President of Nepal Cement Producers’ Association, said that it was regrettable that the electricity of the industries, which were running at only 30 per cent of their capacity due to the crisis, had been cut off.

The work of NEA to cut electricity of the industries would affect the employment, he said.

On Sunday, the Authority cut the lines of Sarbottam Cement, Laxmi Steel, Ashok Steel, Sonapur Minerals and Oil Pvt Ltd and Triveni Spinning Mills.

Similarly, the lines of Jagdamba Steels, Reliance Spinning Mills, Ghorahi Cement and Arghakhanchi Cement were cut off on Friday.

The electricity tariff arrears under the dedicated line of Jagdamba Steels stood at Rs. 4.14 billion, Reliance Spinning Mills at Rs. 1.94 billion, Ghorahi Cement at Rs. 1.36 billion and Arghakhanchi Cement at Rs. 1.3 billion, said the NEA.

According to the Authority, under the dedicated and trunk lines, 61 industries have to pay arrears amounting to over Rs. 22 billion.