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Five trade unions of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) have demanded immediate action to recover billions of rupees in long-pending electricity dues from street lighting as well as dedicated and trunk lines, giving the NEA Board a three-day ultimatum.

The Urjashil Karmachari Sangh, Karmachari Kalyan Parishad, Karmachari Union, Rastriya Karmachari Union and Karmachari Sangh jointly submitted an 11-point demand, calling on the authority to address their concerns by August 17, when the NEA is scheduled to mark its 41st anniversary.

The unions warned against what they described as coordinated efforts to weaken the NEA, divide its assets and operations, and undermine its financial and institutional strength.

They stressed that recovering the outstanding electricity dues should be treated as a matter of both institutional and national importance, arguing that prolonged non-payment could weaken the authority’s ability to invest in electricity infrastructure and expand services.

The unions also urged greater vigilance over decisions that could compromise the NEA’s financial position, institutional autonomy and public-service mandate.

According to them, the NEA is not simply a commercial organization but a strategic institution central to Nepal’s energy security and economic development. They called on the board, management, employees, consumers and other stakeholders to work together to protect the authority’s interests.

The unions warned that weakening the NEA at a time when Nepal is seeking to increase electricity generation, domestic consumption and cross-border power trade could undermine the country’s broader energy ambitions.