Kathmandu, July 2

The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has issued warning to all concerned to refrain from enforcing or causing others to enforce any form of strike obstructing supply and delivery of essential services.

The warning of the DAO comes in accordance with a notice published by the Government of Nepal in the Nepal Gazette on April 25 that prohibited bandhs and strikes in essential services after some business groups, transport entrepreneurs and others threatened to go on strike.

On May 26, people faced the brunt of the strike enforced by transport entrepreneurs over the hike in fines for traffic violations as they halted services intentionally due to the government’s failure to strictly enforce the law.

Recently, doctors also threatened to go on strike in hospitals after Nepal Police arrested as many as 36 medical practitioners for allegedly using fake educational credentials to pursue MBBS, MS and MD. Liquefied Petroleum Gas dealers have also warned of strike against the government’s ban on the sale of HP brand cooking gas after the death of three persons in Lalitpur in explosion.

“If any person stages a strike or encourages others to do so in the essential public services, the local administration will initiate legal action against him/her under the Essential Services Operation Act, 1957,” said a public notice issued by the DAO yesterday.

The government has fixed 14 areas of essential services where strike is prohibited. They include postal, telegram or telephone services; transportation services; airport runway and aeroplane repair/maintenance services; mint or government press; any service of defence affairs of the Government of Nepal relating to the function of arms, ammunition or production of any military goods; services concerning internal security; water supply; tourism sector; supply of petroleum products, including cooking gas; health services; waste management; banking; electricity supply; and transportation of consumer goods.