PAC Rejects NEA's Massive Document Dump, Demands Specific Data on Disputed TOD Meters

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has decided to return a large portion of documents submitted by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), as they were not requested. On Thursday, the NEA delivered over 100,000 pages of documents to the Committee, but PAC Chairman Rishikesh Pokharel clarified that only the documents specifically requested would be reviewed, and the rest would be returned.

“We asked for specific data on ‘Time of Day’ (TOD) meters related to a disputed period involving 61 industries, reports from the committee of former directors Bhakta Bahadur Pun and Manoj Mishra, and a progress report on decisions made by the NEA’s Board of Directors,” Chairman Pokharel stated.

The Committee's secretariat will review the submitted documents to identify the relevant ones, with unrequested documents being sent back to the NEA. “We will only study the documents we specifically asked for and will not keep unnecessary ones,” Pokharel added.

The PAC already possesses various reports, evidence, and legal documents regarding dedicated and trunk lines, including reports from five previous committees and commissions, as well as the Auditor General’s report on outstanding amounts.

Chairman Pokharel also highlighted that the NEA failed to provide the specific TOD meter data requested. Despite NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising delivering a truckload of documents, including log sheets, TOD meter data, court orders, a Power ledger, and invoices, the critical TOD meter data for the disputed period was missing.