India has refused to provide additional 100 MW of electricity at subsidized rate, as proposed by Nepal, Nagarik daily reported.

Nepal had proposed with India to increase the amount of subsidized electricity to 150 MW from existing 50 MW at a meeting of the Power Exchange Committee of the two countries that concluded Wednesday.

India refused to provide more electricity at subidised rate saying India itself was facing power crisis and the Bihar Electricity Development Board (BEDB), which supplies electricity to Nepal, was under loss.

However, India has agreed to provide electricity to Nepal at commercial rate. The commercial rate of electricity in India is IRs 7. Nepal refused India's proposal to import electricity at commercial rate saying, the rate was more than it charged the customers.

BEDB has been supplying 50 MW of electricity officially as per an agreement signed in 1980 and another 25 MW unofficially to Nepal at a subsidised rate of IRs 3.96 per unit. In addition, Nepal is also importing 70 MW of power at commercial rate.

After India refused to provide additional 100 MW of power at subsidized rate, Nepal had proposed India to give official status to the supply of 25 MW power imported unofficially from BEDB. However, India refused this proposal, too, the daily reported. nepalnews.com