सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. Nepal Electricity Authority Executive Director Kulman Ghising has said that it is impossible to meet the electricity subsidy provided by the government under various heads from the authority’s income. Speaking at the Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee meeting under the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Executive Director Ghising said this.
Executive Director Ghising said that the government will announce electricity subsidy but the government will not support the authority. He claimed that the government should give the amount of electricity subsidy provided by the government to the authority. Ghising mentioned that it would not be possible to meet the electricity subsidy provided by the government from the income of the Electricity Authority.
He complained that the government would announce the subsidy but the Authority was in trouble when it came to paying the amount. He claimed that the Ministry of Finance has not yet paid the subsidy amount provided by the government for 50 percent electricity subsidy for cold storage.
He said that the Authority is charging 2.25 paisa for irrigation, 5.75 paisa for drinking water and 7.50 paisa for charging stations. He said that the consumers for whom the government has given a discount to those who consume 20 units of electricity are 2.5 million consumers. He said that apart from the 20 units of electricity provided by the government under various heads, an amount of about 7 billion rupees including demand charges, drinking water, irrigation, cold storage has been demanded from the Ministry of Finance, but the ministry has not addressed it yet.
He informed that the Electricity Authority is providing electricity at 9.35 paisa per unit. He said that since the Authority does not have all the electricity, the Electricity Authority also purchases electricity and distributes it to the consumers, and pays the amount of 7 billion rupees purchased every month. He informed that the Authority has made a profit from other income rather than from electricity trading.
In the meeting, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Rewatirwan Poudel said that concessions should be given only to storages that store domestic products. He said that the concerned bodies need to monitor for that. Secretary Poudel informed that it is necessary to clarify which items should be prioritized in cold stores. He said that it is necessary to classify cold storages. He said that if 50 percent subsidy is given to cold storages on electricity, then it is necessary to arrange a budget from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Agriculture.
In the meeting, the President of the Cold Storage Association, Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, said that due to the decision of the Nepal Electricity Authority to charge 100 percent electricity fee, entrepreneurs are not in a position to operate cold storages. He demanded that the government continue to provide 50 percent electricity subsidy to cold storages in the past. He demanded that the concerned body be instructed to install agricultural meters in cold storages. He also demanded provision of soft loans of up to 100 million rupees for the construction of cold storage facilities of up to 500 metric tons.
News Agency Nepal
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