Kathmandu, September 27

With Dashain just around the corner, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister has directed the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport to take precautionary measures to prevent road accidents during the festival.

Bearing in mind the surge in outflow of passengers and increased risk of road accidents during the festival, the OPMCM said passengers should be discouraged from travelling on rooftops of buses.

“Concerned agencies should make public transport accessible, dependable and safer,” it said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in association with other stakeholder agencies is all set to step up market monitoring to control black-marketing, hoarding and sale and distribution of substandard goods at the district level. The local administration will help the government carry out market monitoring to ensure smooth supply of essential goods during the Dashain festival.

The government has also decided to test vegetables and fruits for pesticide residues in the Kathmandu Valley and elsewhere in the country as they can pose significant health risks to public health. The OPMCM has also directed all concerned agencies to inform the general public about the activities being undertaken to ease supply of essential goods, including cooking gas, through media.

Security agencies will make arrangements for escorting cargo trucks to their destinations from border points to prevent vandalism in the wake of bandh and strikes enforced by various political parties and groups in the Tarai region for the past one-and-a-half months.

The agencies responsible for supplying essential goods and services have been instructed to formulate an action plan and act accordingly. The OPMCM has tasked the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies with raiding private go-downs and taking action against businesspersons found creating artificial shortage of essential supplies during the festive season.

According to the OPMCM, the government is also making necessary arrangements to provide fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products and other essential goods at fair prices to consumers. The finance ministry will allocate budget for the purpose.