Kathmandu, October 20:

Nepal Students’ Union, the student wing of the Nepali Congress, today threatened the government of agitation if it did not adjust the prices of petroleum products on a par with the international market prices.

A group of NSU central office-bearers and sympathisers submitted a memorandum to Minister for Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato here today, asking the government to adjust the prices.

“The NSU will be compelled to launch a strong agitation if the government failed to control leakage, commissioning, black-marketing, corruption and artificial scarcity prevalent at the Nepal Oil Corporation and to ensure smooth supply of petroleum products at a lower rate,” the memorandum signed by acting president of the union Ganesh Raj Bhatta said.

The NSU also slammed the government for failing to adjust the prices even when the international price have fallen to $70 per barrel from $147.

Responding to the student leaders’ concerns, Mahato said the government was committed to adjust the prices and doing groundwork to fix new prices.

He said it was only for the past few days that the prices in international market fell significantly and the government would adjust the prices within the next 10-15 days.

“The NOC is not a commercial organisation, it (the adjustment of the prices) is just a matter of few days,” the minister said. He added that the government was not only committed to reduce the prices of petroleum products but also to supply the essentials on the basis of ration cards.

He said the government was working out modalities on the basis of which the amount and types of income families would be determined before issuing the ration cards. He said the NOC was committed to control black-marketing but sometimes people fall in the trap of black marketeers and join them to stage a protest against NOC. “But such protests only benefit black marketeers.”