KATHMANDU, July 26 -- Newly-appointed Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal on Sunday directed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to recover the long pending dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines from industrialists.

Speaking at a program organized by the NEA, Minister Bhusal said the power utility has been empowered by the law to collect the dues of electricity bills from the users. "If needed, NEA should step up to cut the electricity supply lines of the industrialists who deny settling the bills," Bhusal said.

The NEA has been struggling to recover the dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines from the industrialists since 2015. The NEA had set a premium tariff for factories using electricity throug...