All the political parties and public should cooperate when the country is passing through a crisis
Even though the government has decided to give a two-day weekly off to government employees and educational institutions beginning May 15 to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by 20 per cent, its consumption has increased by almost 40 per cent since last week, thanks largely to the local elections during which poll campaigners used excessive fuel for canvassing. As per the latest figure provided by Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the daily consumption of petrol and diesel has jumped by 40 per cent over the past week. NOC officials have blamed the local level election campaigns for the over-consumption of petrol and diesel. Major political parties held motorcycle rallies in the city areas to woo their voters in their favour. According to NOC, the average daily consumption of petrol used to be 2,200 to 2,500 kilolitres, while that for diesel it was 5,000 to 6,000 kilolitres in normal times. However, the consumption of petrol and diesel increased to 3,500 and over 7,000 kilolitres, respectively. A total of 20,194 kilolitres of petrol were sold across the country from May 2 to May 8, while 39,486 kilolitres of diesel were sold in the same period across the country.
NOC spokesperson Binitmani Upadhyaya has warned that the over-consumption of fossil fuels imported by paying in foreign currency will increase the losses of the NOC, which is already in dire straits.
Prices of petroleum products jumped exponentiallyfollowing the war between Russia and Ukraine on February 24, whose sign of ending is nowhere to be seen. NOC has stated it is incurring a loss of Rs 23 per litre on petrol and Rs 40 per litre on diesel. NOC will incur further losses if the consumption continues unabated.
As per the new price list provided by In-dian Oil Corporation (IOC), which is the sole supplier of fossil fuels to Nepal, NOC has bought petrol at Rs 183.02 per litre, diesel at Rs 183.13 per litre, kerosene at Rs 140.19 per litre, aviation fuel at Rs 143.36 per litre for domestic airlines, and LPG at Rs 2,650.18 per cylinder for the first two weeks of this month. NOC is, however, selling a litre of petrol at Rs 160. At the same time, devaluation of the Nepali currency against the US dollar – Rs 124.04 fetched one US dollar on Wednesday – will further affect the country's import-based economy, adding more inflationary pressure.
Earlier, NOC had submitted a number of suggestions, including a two-day weekend and odd-even rules, to the government to cut fuel consumption.
NOC had also suggested adjusting the prices of petroleum products as per the international rate. But the government has resisted increasing the prices of fuel keeping in mind the May 13 local level elections.
The government's decision to give a two-day weekend has also drawn flak from different walks of life, saying it would hamper the economic activities.
Keeping in mind the skyrocketing prices of imported fuels, the Election Commission also should have imposed a ban on holding motorcycle rallies and the overuse of helicopters by top guns of the major political parties. An increment in the consumption of fossil fuels by 40 per cent within a week, that too, during the time of crisis, is alarming. All the political parties, their cadres and general public should cooperate when the country is passing through a crisis.
Lifter's suicide
Lifter Sanju Chaudhary's suicide in a rented house in Lalitpur the other day is both shocking and tragic. She had been the first Nepali woman lifter to win a gold medal in the South Asian Games with a bright future. What could have nudged her into ending her life at just age 22 is anyone's guess, as she had attended a party hosted by her coach just the day before, although a friend disclosed to the police that she did not seem very happy with her life. Could depression have led her to commit suicide? According to the World Health Organisation, Nepal has one of the highest suicides rates in the world, with the coronavirus pandemic only exacerbating the situation. Even before the pandemic, Nepal ranked third highest in South Asia for female suicide mortality, with it being the single leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. Lack of financial resources as well as awareness, family issues, mental health, marriage and other relationships have been known to be the causes behind the rising suicides in Nepal. With more than 5,000 people, mostly young people, committing suicide in Nepal annually, it is high time research was done in the youth factor to look for the possible motives.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
