At a time when almost all hotels, which used to consume over 90 MW of electricity, in Kathmandu Valley shutdown, the power cut is so frequent that it is like an undeclared load-shedding.

Despite over 90 MW of surplus electricity in the hand compared to last year, frequent power cut all over Nepal has raised the question of whether the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has imposed new undeclared load-shedding.

Not only common people, even the Minister of Energy. Water Resources and Irrigation Top Bahadur Rayamajhi expressed his concern on Monday. He invited all NEA’s senior staffs including acting Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya at his office and directed to take necessary step to prevent power cut.

Minister Rayamajhi also directed NEA’s management to work for the improvement of power supply and distribution. Following the expiry of the tenure of Kul Man Ghising, who ended two-decade long load shedding, large numbers of consumers have lost confidence.

The frequent power cut has further justified people’s fear of the possibility of revival of load-shedding. Given chaos and uncertainty, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has refuted the claims that load shedding has begun again.

When people, after facing frequent disturbance in power supply, started suspecting whether the NEA was introducing load-shedding, it clarified on Thursday by issuing a statement that load shedding ended three years ago and there was no chance of repeating it again.

NEA said that the supply was halted giving prior notice while carrying out preventive work of power supply and distribution systems.

"NEA’s attention has been drawn to the reports of various media and online portals that unannounced load-shedding has begun and the power supply has not been managed,” read the statement.

Electricity will be cut off due to shifting of electricity poles, replacement of transformers, maintenance and other reasons, NEA said.

"Load-shedding occurs only when the supply is less than the demand. At present, the NEA is importing and supplying electricity from its own, private producers and even from India, so there is no load shedding and it is unlikely to happen in the future,” read the statement issued by NEA spokesperson Madan Timsina.

It said the NEA was working diligently to solve such problems immediately when the power supply in the power system gets disrupted.

The supply was disrupted due to a technical problem in the system on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and such a problem has been solved, it said.