Power supply to 1,000 households cut off

Dolakha, October 16

Nepal Electricity Authority Dolakha Distribution Centre has cut off power supply to around 1,000 households in the district for failing to pay electricity bills worth Rs 2.4 million.

Power was cut off to customers of two villages of Tamakoshi Rural Municipality and one village of Melung Rural Municipality yesterday. The power-cut has plunged Jafe and Malu of Tamakoshi Rural Municipality and Melung of Melung Rural Municipality into darkness.

Tamakoshi Rural Electricity Cooperative has been tasked the responsibility of collecting electricity tariff and submitting it to Nepal Electricity Authority, which the NEA has been doing for the past nine years.

NEA Dolakha Distribution Centre Account Chief Madhav Prasai said his office was forced to cut electricity as the cooperative had failed to submit electricity bills for the past three years.

Distribution Centre Chief Bipin Dhakal said his office had to cut off power as the cooperative did not submit the electricity bills despite repeated reminders.

Tamakoshi Rural Electricity Cooperative Chair Dhruba Pokhrel admitted that his office had to pay the electricity bills and argued that NEA had cut the power supply in haste. He said his office had failed to submit the money as they were yet to collect tariff from customers.

Himal Power Limited had introduced the concept of cooperative and carried out electrification of Jafe, Malu and Melung. In line with the idea, the onus of collecting electricity charge from customers and submitting the money to the NEA was given to the cooperative.

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