POKHARA: Minister for General Administration, Rabindra Shrestha, warned that the government would take stern action against traders if they were found hiking the price of goods creating artificial scarcity.

Speaking at a press meet organised by Press Chautari in Pokhara Sunday , the minister sought all to contain irregularities rife in the local market. “Rates of the same goods are different from shop to shop as the traders themselves fix the their price,” he said, attributing the monopoly of traders to the price hike. Minister Shrestha also revealed that the government was planning to increase the salaries of the government employees in proportion with the surging market price.

He, however, warned that legal action would be initiated against the government employees if they were found agitating on the Singha Durbar premises now on. In another context, he said that the CPN-UML wanted to form a national government but the process had been delayed due to the Maoists’ claim for leadership. He also predicted that the Maoists would join the national government due to mounting public pressure.