The festive season is on our door step. At the same time, the price of essential commodities have surpassed the purchasing capacity of the common people, particularly the working and lower middle class people.

Moreover, fatal and deadly road accidents have added to their ordeals during recent times.

The big reason to worry about is that even the government has failed to curb the syndicate system that is rampant in the transport sector.

The government has announced that it has opened fair price shops in various parts of the Kathmandu Valley. These so-called fair price shops will not be able to cater services to the people as there are very

few compared to the size of population. During the festive seasons such fair price shops remain open in some localities.

They should have been opened throughout the year so that ordinary people can purchase goods from there. At the same time why does the government not open such shops outside the Valley where a large

number of people have to rely on the private shops which charge more during the festive season. Is it not the duty of the government to open those kinds of shops even outside the Valley.

Does it think that it is the only people in the Valley who celebrate the festivals?

Sanjog Karki, Tansen

Tragedy

On Tuesday, a bus accident in Dhading district was very shocking news for all of us. Sadly, nineteen people were killed and 14 others were critically injured when the bus met an accident at Jirokilo of Lapangkhola in Marpark VDC in Dhading.

I wonder where were the government officers who are monitoring the rules regarding the drivers and its transport operators when it comes to following such rules.

Each time, the driver’s ‘small negligence’ cost us tragic incidents where people lose their lives. As we can see these kinds of incidents are repeatedly happening during the monsoon and festive season.

However, it is painful to say that the government bureaucrats are always busy in participating in seminars and yummy dinners. At the same time, the common people are compelled to die just for want of all weather condition roads.

The government’s concerned officers are not monitoring this issue in a serious note right from the beginning. That’s the reason why such kinds of accidents have been happening across the country.

Indeed, the government and its bureaucrats pay little attention to make sure that road transport is safe and people can reach home safe.

Such tragic accidents would not have happened had the government agencies paid attention to implanting rules even in the rural roads where there are quite a few buses available and even the roads are not up to the mark to operate public buses.

The government should not allow the public buses to operate in those roads which are sub-standard, not well maintained and wide enough to drive.

Let us hope that the government will not make the same mistake in the coming days and such kinds of incidents will not occur anymore in the country.

Saroj Wagle, Bara