India has proposed Nepal for increasing per unit electricity charge on the supply of electricity from southern neighbour to Nepal through Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and Tanakpur—Mahendranagar transmission lines, said Nepali officials participating in a bilateral talk. Nepal is currently importing 80MW of electricity at IRs 3.44 per unit of electricity through the newly constructed Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line from NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam. Likewise, PTC India, the state owned power trading company has been supplying 20 to 35 MW of power to Nepal since 2008 during dry season through 132 kV Tanakpur—Mahendranagar transmission line at IRs 6 per unit. During the energy secretary level meeting held on Tuesday in New Delhi, India side proposed increasing per unit charge of electricity supplied through these cross-border transmission lines, said a Nepali official. In response to India’s demand, Nepal agreed to discuss about the issue in a separate meeting between officials of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and respective power trading authorities of India, Mukesh Kafle, managing director of NEA, said. During the meeting, both the sides agreed to extend the deadline of the cross-border power trade agreement under which Nepal is importing 80 MW from Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar. The deadline of agreement which expires in June end, will be extended to December 2016.
