By Our Correspondent
Okhaldhunga, Aug. 3: Locals in Okhaldhunga have become furious when Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) imposed fine on electricity tariff of the restriction period. NEA had charged 10 to 25 per cent fine on electricity tariff of the restriction period. However, those who deposited their amount in time were not fined.
The NEA had to face similar problem last year, and it decided to return extra charge it collected from its consumers during lockdown imposed to control COVID-19. Even this time, locals and the NEA authorities are exchanging arguments for the same.
According to the consumers, the meter readers did not visit their houses for the reading during the restriction time but later they were fined for the delay in clearing the tarrif.
Lekindra Bhattarai, a local, said that imposing fine on electricity tariff during restriction period was unfair because no metre reader came to read their meter during the time. “Imposing fine on electricity tariff of restriction period is a cheating of the consumers, NEA should not do this,” he said.
However, NEA cites its own compulsion to impose the fine. Pratish Dhakal, chief of NEA in the district, said that they imposed fine on the tariff due to the legal provision. “They are arguing with us but we cannot deduct tariff or the fine because we have to obey legal provisions,” he added.
According to him, the government can decide of returning the amount on consumers’ account as it was done previously.
Consumers in this mountainous region were not satisfied with the service NEA has been catering to them. “Sometimes there is power-cut for several hours and there is no timely fixing of other problems too,” Bhattarai said.
According to him, the NEA in the district tends to pass the bucket to others while the consumers appraise it of the problems they are facing.