The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) says the former royals must pay arrears dating back several years for power to 22 palaces and bungalows.

It is a further blow to a family which ruled for centuries before the monarchy was abolished in May.

'We have given him 15 days to clear the bills,' senior NEA official Deepak Prasad Upadhyay was quoted as saying to Reuters. 'If this is not done, we'll cut off the power supply.'

There was no immediate response from former king Gyanendra Shah, or his family.

The BBC says the public demand may be a way of putting pressure on the former royal family.

Mr Gyanendra, 61, has been living in a former royal hunting lodge near Kathmandu.