Kathmandu, January 20:

Several non-government organisations today jointly called on the government to withdraw the decision to hand over the management of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) to a private company.

In a press statement issued here today, the NGOs said, “Privatisation of essential service like water supply is a violation of human rights and it is the state’s duty to manage and provide drinking water to the people.”

The NGO Federation, Federation of Community Forest Users’ Nepal, Dalit NGO Federation Nepal, the National Federation of Disabled People, Water and Sanitation Users’ Federation, Women’s Security Pressure Group, DECONT, Dalit Women’s Association and Dalit NGO Federation Central Development Region are among those NGOs which issued the joint statement against the government’s decision.

Meanwhile, the Joint Struggle Committee of NWSC Employees’ Associations has stated that their agitation would continue tomorrow as well.