By Karuna Thapa
Kathmandu, April 3
The government has issued directives to various organizations and business people to make gasoline products and other basic essentials readily available. Bal Krishna Khand, the Home Minister, has directed that price of basic goods not be raised, that sales and distribution not be stopped, and that petroleum products be readily available.
The government is ready to tackle the difficulties of businesses through conversation, according to Phanindra Mani Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Home Ministry. However, if issues and shortages arise, the government is required to respond in accordance with the law. According to him, the Minister for Mines asked the secretaries of the various ministries, including the Home Ministry, to send a circular report to the Chief District Officers of all the districts on Sunday. Following concerns of excessive increases in the pricing of daily needs, the Home Ministry has directed all 77 district administration offices to send monitoring and reporting through a market monitoring committee beginning Sunday. According to Home Spokesperson Pokhrel, a monitoring committee led by the district’s Assistant Chief District Officer would submit a report to the ministry after determining whether or not prices have increased.
Similarly, the ministry has ordered that the supply of consumer products in the market be
monitored, as well as facilitation and price control, in collaboration with the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, and that any distortion be punished in line with the law. The
government is still monitoring why the problem has not been resolved as long lines of
customers are seen at petrol pumps in the valley. Entrepreneurs’ obstruction in the import of petroleum products was only agreed upon on Saturday, but the government is still monitoring why the problem has not been resolved. The majority of the pumps were discovered to be empty of gasoline.
Home Minister Khand, who is also the caretaker Prime Minister, praised the businesspeople for reaching an agreement to handle the petroleum products crisis and stated that the government was willing to settle the businessmen’s difficulties via conversation.
