Kathmandu, February 26:

Businessmen today lambasted the government for failing to provide security to business fraternity and industries across the country.

“The government has totally failed in providing security to the entrepreneurs,” Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of the umbrella organisation of Nepali private sector, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), said.

Referring to a series of attacks on business community, he said that they have been — till date — not forcing the government because the government has a more important task of holding a Constituent Assembly (CA) election. “But enough is enough. We cannot keep quite while everyday our friends are being targetted,” he added.

Dhakal also gave the government an ultimatum of bringing the culprits — who shot at Shasikanta Agrawal, president of Sugar Producers’ Association today in a broad daylight — to book within 48 hours. “If not we will declare protest programmes.”

Binod K Chaudhary, president of Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), blamed the government for not being serious on the security of private sector. “The government is unable to provide security and ensure smooth supply of essential products like petro products,” he said adding that industries are hit hard due to the shortage of petro products, power and security. Even during the insurgency period, Kathmanduites have not faced such a crisis of petro products. “It proves the inefficiency of the ruling parties,” he added.

Similarly, Surendra Bir Malakar, president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) also asked the government to take the issue of industries’ and industrialists’ security seriously.