Kathmandu, February 26:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today directed the government to import petroleum products from China because buying fuel from India alone was not sufficient to meet the increasing demdand in the country.

The directive may not be binding for the government but would exert a strong moral pressure to act accordingly.

During a crucial meeting with the government and top security officials on deteriorating human rights situation in the country, the NHRC directed the authorities to choose a valid option to import petroleum products from China and to end the monopoly of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to ensure the rights of the people for getting the basic needs. “We have directed the government to protect the rights of people at any cost and told them that the NOC act of importing fuel from India only should not infringe on people’s rights,” Gauri Pradhan, a member of the NHRC, told this daily.

The government, however, has said that the existing law prevents import of petroleum products from any country other than India and that the agencies need to take bold decisions to import fuel from China. “We told them that government should promulgate an Ordinance to import fuel from China and involve the private sector in the oil business,” Pradhan added.

The NHRC and the government authorities also dwelled on the current illegal importing of petroleum products from China.

Chief of the Armed Police Force IGP Basudev Oli, AIG of Nepal Police Shyam Singh Thapa, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs Pratap Kumar Pathak, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Supply, Commerce and Industry Tej Raj Shakya and Deputy Director of NOC, Ichhya Bikram Thapa attended the meeting. NHRC Chief Kedar Nath Upadhayaya, members Ram Nagina Singh, Gauri Pradhan, Dr KB Rokaya and Secretary Bishal Khanal attended the meeting.

The rights body seriously objected illegal arrest, detention and search operations during the nights in Tarai. “We discussed on several issues regarding detention of people in Tarai and the security search in individual houses in the night,” Pradhan said.

The NHRC directed the officials to be conscious while handling with the cases and asked the authorities to recognise schools as zone of peace and avoid installing police and security beats there.

The constitutional body also directed the government to provide compensations to the kin of those killed in the Madhes movement and ensure supply of basic needs keeping in mind the upcomming SLC examination.