Defaulting royals will get no electricity: NEA

BIKAS THAPA

KATHMANDU, Oct 23 - Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is all set to stop power supply to palaces and residences of former king Gyanendra and his relatives if they fail to pay the pending electricity bill in the next 15 days.The unpaid electricity bills by the former king ...

The NEA has instructed various distribution sections and centers under the Authority's customer service department to implement the decision, said a NEA source.

NEA Executive Director Arjun Kumar Karki took the decision on October 17, according to the source.

Last year, prior to declaring the country a republic by abolishing monarchy in May, the NEA corresponded to the palace urging it to pay the dues. However, the royals paid no heed to the request.

In the two-point decision taken by Karki, NEA's concerned sections have been instructed to recover the money within 15 days or to cut electricity, and to return the generators provided to the palaces by NEA.

The Authority earlier made arrangement of generators to ensure round the clock power supply to the palaces.

According to the source, the NEA wrote to former princesses Shova, Dilasa, Sitashma, Helen, Bharati, Pooja, Jyotsana Devi Basnet, and to former Queen grandmother Ishwori Rajyalaxmi, who had since expired, to pay the dues.

Besides them, NEA  had also sent similar letters to the Comptroller Department, Chhauni Bangla, Nirmal Niwas, Nagarjun Royal Forest, Narayanhiti Kharcha Adda, Himagriha Pokhara, Ratna Mandir in Pokhara, Diyalo Bangla in Bharatpur, and Rani Durbar in Hetauda, among others.