Kathmandu – The meeting of the board of directors of Nepal Electricity Authority has concluded that the power lines of industries that do not pay dues cannot be connected based on the verbal instructions of the Prime Minister.

Although the Electricity Authority has been saying that it will cut the lines of 61 industries that do not pay dues of about 8 billion 26 crores, the authority cut the lines of 6 industries, Reliance Spinning Mills, Arghakhanchi Cement, Ghorahi Cement, Jagdamba Steel, Jagdamba Synthetic and Hulas Steel after refusing to pay the dues.

According to the authority, Jagdamba Steel owes Rs 1 billion 60 crore, Reliance Rs 75 crore 37 lakh, Ghorahi Cement Rs 51 crore, Arghakhanchi Cement Rs 44.86 crore , Jagdamba Synthetic Rs 20 crore and Hulas Rs 14 crore.

After the Electricity Authority cut the power lines of that industry, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called the Energy Minister, Secretary and Executive Director of the Authority Kulman Ghising to Baluwatar on Friday and instructed them to connect the lines of six industries immediately.

Kulman Ghising, executive director of the authority, said during the discussion with the Prime Minister that the connection can be made only after the meeting of the board of directors on Sunday. But in response, the Prime Minister immediately instructed the Board of Directors to hold a meeting and take a decision.

Following the instructions of the Prime Minister, a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Authority was held at the Ministry of Energy under the chairmanship of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka. In the meeting, Energy Minister Khadka proposed to connect the line immediately as per the Prime Minister’s instructions . But the other members of the board of directors disagreed with the minister’s proposal and concluded that electricity cannot be connected based on the prime minister’s verbal instructions and suggested that a written instruction should be provided to connect the lines of industries that do not pay dues.