KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has disconnected the power supply to 18 more industries for failing to pay the charges for using dedicated and trunk line electricity connections.

Earlier, the NEA had cut off power to six industries, and as of Friday night, the total number of disconnected firms has reached 24.

According to NEA officials, the power supply has been cut off to the following industries: Panchakanya Steel, Shyam Plastic, Goenka Foods, Cosmos Cement, SR Steel, Panchakanya Plastic, Bhairahawa Automatic Factory, Jagadamba Synthetic, Everest Rolling Industries, Gharana Foods, Bishal Cement, Butwal Cement, Nigale Cement, SR Foods, Siddhartha PET Plast Industries, Himal Iron, Triveni Synthetic Yarn, and Sona Minerals & Oils.

Earlier, the NEA had already disconnected power to Jagdamba Steel, Reliance Spinning Mills, Shivam Cement, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhanchi Cement, and Triveni Spinning Mills.

NEA officials said that out of the industries with more than Rs 8 billion in total dues, some have started paying in installments, while others have gone to court.

Among those using dedicated feeders and trunk lines, 14 industries have begun installment payments, while six have obtained interim court orders.The issue of unpaid dedicated and trunk line charges has remained unresolved since 2018.

The first study on the matter was conducted under a committee led by then NEA board member Bhakta Bahadur Pun, after which NEA began efforts to recover the outstanding dues.

Industrialists, however, have consistently argued that they never used such dedicated or trunk lines and therefore are not liable to pay.

The dispute has reached the courts, the then Public Accounts Committee of the dissolved House of Representatives, and even the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

On September 28, the NEA issued a public notice giving industries 21 days to clear their dues.