The Nepalgunj Distribution Centre of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is yet to collect over Rs 470 million arrears from various consumers as of mid-January of the current fiscal year 2022/23.

Among the arrears, street lights’ dues account for the highest arrears at over Rs 170 million. The Khajura Rural Municipality has to pay Rs 36,000 out of the arrears for electricity fee for street lights. Rest of the amount is to be paid by the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, the NEA said.

The Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has been adamant to clear the arrears of electricity fee for street lights, according to the NEA staffers.

Chief of Nepalgunj Distribution Centre, Diwakar Pyakurel, shared that they had been sending letters to the sub-metropolitan city to clear the arrears but to no avail.

"The Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has been responding to us that it cannot afford to pay for the electricity," divulged Pyakurel.

A dispute had ensued between the Centre and the Sub-Metropolitan City during the tenure of erstwhile mayor Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana.

The erstwhile mayor Rana had argued that since the NEA had erected electricity poles and expanded transmission lines within the jurisdiction of the sub-metropolitan city, the sub-metropolitan city would only pay for the electricity fees once the NEA pays the sub-metropolis the fees of electricity poles and lines expanded in the sub-metropolis' territory.

Incumbent mayor Prashant Bista said that their stance is that the NEA should first make commercial tax adjustment of the electricity poles erected within the sub-metropolis.