Kathmandu, June 18 -- Despite being at the helm of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for nearly three months, Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya has yet to take action against industrialists who have defaulted on electricity dues for the use of dedicated and trunk lines.

Shakya was appointed NEA chief on March 24 after the government dismissed then executive director Kulman Ghising. That very day, Ghising had sought the Electricity Regulatory Commission's permission to disconnect power supply to factories and firms that had continued to enjoy electricity despite failing to pay billions of rupees in past dues.

The commission formally instructed the NEA on April 10 to initiate legal action against the defaulters, but as of mid-Jun...