Kathmandu : The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) employee unions have warned that they would take to the streets if the electric lines were connected to the defaulters without collecting standing dues.

The unions have accused some industries of creating disputes unnecessarily while the electric lines have been disconnected to the consumers who have failed to pay their bills for two months.

The National Employees Union and the Employees Welfare Council associated with the NEA in a press note on Monday expressed concern that if the decision of the Council of Ministers were implemented, it would incentivize the customers not to pay the bills, which would ultimately destabilize the Authority.

“If the lines were connected to the industries who have not paid their outstanding dues for using electricity through trunk lines and dedicated feeders, we will hit the streets,” reads the press note.

The letter, signed by Council’s Chairman Shree Prasad Acharya and Union’s Senior Vice Chairman Bhuminanda Aryal, was addressed to Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, who also chairs the NEA Executive Committee.

Earlier, the lines had been reconnected to 14 industries including two state-owned two cement factories after they agreed to pay their dues in installments.

The NEA executive committee has approved a 56-installment payment plan for defaulters to recover outstanding dues.