Consumers’ 15-day ultimatum to govt

Kathmandu, February 23:

The recently formed Consumers’ Struggle Committee has given a 15-day ultimatum to the government to end the persisting problems of load shedding, crisis of petroleum and cooking gas. The committee has also warned of violent protests if the government don’t solve the problems.

The committee today said they had set the deadline for March 7 to put an end to the scarcity of basic facilities.They have come up with four-point demands: decrease load-shedding hours, ensure smooth supply of LP Gas, kerosene, diesel, petrol and water, bring down the prices of essential items and create a peaceful environment for living.

Bipin Rai, coordinator of the CSC, said several people were facing problems even to cook two-time meal, many are forced to walk for hours to reach their destinations, students are unable to attend classes, power-cuts had hampered business of countless and a lot of people were spending hours in queues for diesel and petrol, but the government seemed least bothered. He added that if the government did not bring the shortage to end by March 7, they would cut power supply to the ministers’ quarters, Pulchowk, and to the residences of high-ranking Nepal Electricity Authority officials. He claimed that their agitation would not be peaceful if their demands were not met by March 7. Until then they have decided to create pressure on the government without resorting to violence.