Photo: Siraj Khan/TRN Electricity staff disconnecting the line of a consumer who has not paid bills for a long time.

Under the Outstanding Dues Recovery Campaign launched by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Nepalgunj Distribution Centre, more than Rs 2.5 million in outstanding electricity bills was collected in a single day in Banke.

According to Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Chief of the Centre, over Rs 2.518 million was recovered on Monday alone from 82 consumers in Nepalgunj and Khajura under the campaign, which began on November 30.

He said that electricity lines of consumers who had not paid their bills for a long time were disconnected, prompting 55 consumers in Nepalgunj to visit the distribution centre on Monday to pay more than Rs. 2 million and have their electricity restored. Likewise, 27 consumers in Khajura paid Rs. 508,000 to have their lines reconnected. Mishra added that lines of 65 consumers, who had accumulated dues amounting to Rs. 763,889, were also disconnected on Monday. He said the campaign will continue until all dues are fully recovered.

Earlier, the Nepalgunj Distribution Centre reported that dues totalling Rs. 2.17 million had been collected from 133 consumers in the first three days up to Sunday.

In the four days since the campaign was launched, more than Rs. 4.6 million has been collected from 188 consumers in Banke, according to the Centre.

It has been stated that since the beginning of the campaign, electricity lines of around 400 consumers who had not paid their bills for a long time have been disconnected in Banke district.

Mishra said the dues recovery campaign would be carried out more strictly and continuously, urging consumers with long-overdue bills to pay immediately.

He reminded consumers that, under NEA rules, electricity lines of those who fail to pay bills for more than 61 days can be cut at any time, and requested all customers to pay on time to avoid the hassle of disconnection and reconnection.

By Siraj Khan