Mar 20, Kathmandu- The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) Koshi Province has opposed the possible power cuts in the industrial sector. CNI Koshi Chairman Pawan Kumar Sarada, in a statement, said that the news that there may be a complete power cut in the industrial corridor from 6 pm to 12 hours has disappointed and frightened the industrialists.

The Confederation has clarified that the disruption in electricity supply has occurred due to misunderstanding and lack of coordination between the Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Energy. As mentioned in the statement, the economic and industrial sector has collapsed due to the irrelevant and impractical policies of the Authority for the past 6-7 years.

"The current time is the peak production time. Continuous electricity supply is required during the dry season, and it is natural for us in the private sector to be concerned about the talk of load shedding during this time," the statement said.

The Confederation has stated that industrialists are currently concerned about news that the NEA is conducting unannounced load shedding for 4 to 6 hours daily and that imports from India will be cut, causing further problems.

The statement warns that disruption of power supply to industries will lead to production shutdown, thousands of workers will be unemployed and as a result, there may be protests on the streets. It is stated that the government and the authority should take full responsibility for this.

"The federation has demanded that the government intervene immediately and manage the power supply in the long term and arrange for regular supply instead of cutting power. “Electricity supply must be ensured whether it is from any source, domestic or foreign,” the statement said.

The statement has been addressed to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Chief Minister of Koshi Province, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Electricity Authority, among others.