Kathmandu, Aug. 15 -- Speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka rebutted claims of load-shedding. He said electricity supply was smooth across the country, except for a few pocket areas.

Since taking charge of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on March 24, Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya has repeatedly dismissed claims of 'load-shedding', official or otherwise. Yet consumers nationwide continue to face frequent power disruptions, which officials attribute to technical faults, infrastructural limitations, and the monsoon.

NEA chief Shakya claimed on July 28 that there were no power cuts anywhere in the country. When concerns were raised during his C...