Sindhupalchowk, Oct 11:

Nepal Electricity Authotiry branch offices at Lamosanghu, Barhabise, Melamchi and Chautara have not been able to collect power tariff from the past two months due to the Maoist obstruction.

The Maoists have been preventing power consumers from paying power tariff since second week of August and no attempt has been made to re-open the counters, accounts officer at NEA Sindhupalchowk branch, Arjun Basnet, said.

Maoists have been obstructing the collection of the electricity tariff and are demanding that NEA, which has incurred a loss of over Rs 10 million, waive of all dues of its costumers, NEA Sindhupalchowk district office said.

The NEA branch in Sindhupalchowk had been collecting up to Rs 2 lakh a month after the Maoists joined the peace process, officials said.

Maoists have said they would not allow tariff collection until the government made public its policy on the issue of electricity tariff.