Kathmandu, Aug 1: Consumer rights activists have expressed concern over the overnight overturning of the implementation decision committed by the government representatives on any issue relating to the public welfare that is discussed by the parliamentary committees.

Speaking in the meeting of the Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Protection Committee under the Legislature-Parliament today, they expressed dismay that the directives issued by the committee on certain issues and the commitment made by the government representatives to implement them are overturned and not implemented.

The lawmakers, invited government officials and private sector representatives were discussing the topic of allowing the private sector petroleum entrepreneurs to also operate the gas bullets.

It is stated that the government’s earlier decision to allow the private sector also to operate the gas bullets was overturned and the speakers criticised the government for this.

Consumer rights activist Bimala Khanal, Ranjan Khanal, Govinda Subedi, Apsara Koirala among others alleged the government of not carrying out effective market monitoring and checking the price hike.

They also took the government to task regarding the overnight change in the government’s decision allowing the private sector petroleum dealers to also operate cooking gas bullets.
The consumer rights activists called for constituting a special mechanism for controlling inflation.

Lawmakers Dr Narayan Khadka, Rajya Laxmi Shrestha, Anarkalli Miya, Subas Chandra Sah, Narayan Karki among others stressed the need of mobilizing mobile action teams to take immediate action against the businessmen and traders found involved in unscrupulous activities. They also suggested laying emphasis on food production and the government to intervene in the market for controlling price hike.

Secretary at the Ministry of Supplies Shreedhar Sapkota said that the government has been making a lot of effort to control the price hike which he said resulted due to factors beyond control as the open border, the monopoly of a few people in the trade, lack of monitoring system and others.

He said there was adequate stock of salt and rice grains in the country and permission has been already given for importing sugar.

Director General of the Department of Supplies Gokul Prasad Dhital, General Manager of the Salt Trading Corporation Urmila Shrestha and General Manager of the Food Corporation Shiva Hari Shrestha briefed the Committee meeting about the works carried out by their respective offices.

The meeting was chaired by the Committee president Prabhu Saha. RSS