Energy Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi has warned of snapping power supplies to all the private residences and government offices if the electricity dues were not cleared within the next ten days.

Speaking at a programme in the Capital on Wednesday, Minister Shahi said that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will cut power supplies to President’s residence, Prime Minister’s residence and Cabinet office if the electricity arrears were not paid within the given timeframe. 

“Energy Ministry has decided to snap power of those failing to pay the due amount within the next 10 days. I have directed the NEA officials not to spare anyone be it a ministry, company or private residence,” said Minister Shahi. “If they failed to comply with my order, then I will take up the issue.”

 In a different context, the Energy Minister made it clear that the Upper Karnali Hydroelectricity Project has been provided the land, and warned of scrapping the agreement if the project could not start the work within the next 35 days.

He said that many people have made a lot of money in the name of power generation at Nepal’s rivers.

Claiming that the electricity generation has been gaining momentum across the country and some of the projects have started the works, Minister Shahi said Nepal should not import power from India within the next year if the works on hydropower projects continue at the current pace and the projects complete on time.

Minister Shahi noted that Nepal tops the list of countries with highest rate of power leakage and the government efforts to control the leakage have not been effective. He added that he has been working in coordination with private sector to end the power leakage.

He also informed that the government will immediately allocate the land acquisition compensation for Budhi Gandaki hydropower project and that the government will make arrangement for the rehabilitation of the displaced people.

Likewise, Minister Shahi claimed that he doesn’t have any differences or friction with NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising.