Kathmandu, Feb 11: A meeting of the Federalism Enablement and National Concerns Committee, the National Assembly was held today to discuss the rising prices of construction materials, including cement, and food. During the meeting, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, attempted to justify the price hike of cement, attributing it partly to load-shedding.
Lawmaker Gopi Bahadur Sarki Achhami, however, was unconvinced by the Minister’s explanation. He interrupted, urging the Minister to take the issue to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation for further discussion.
He called for a fact-check of the load-shedding schedule issued by the Nepal Electricity Authority. “Let’s find out the load-shedding schedule during the period of the price rise,” he said, emphasizing the need for intervention by the Ministry to address the matter. Rajendra Laxmi Gaire of the CPN (Unified Socialist) questioned whether lawmakers had any role in the price increase.
In response, the Ministry clarified that lawmakers did not have any influence over the price hikes. Following the exchange of views between the Minister and lawmakers, Committee President Sonam Geljen Sherpa intervened and urged the Minister to focus on the agenda, citing time constraints.
The Minister acknowledged the Committee’s direction. Uday Bahadur Bohora of the CPN (Unified Socialist) requested a clear update on the cost of products following the price increase in construction materials, particularly cement.
The Minister responded that a committee had already been formed to determine the price of cement and that the committee’s findings would be accepted. The Minister further said that the rise in cement prices was partly due to power outages caused by rain-induced damage to the Upper Hydropower Project.
He claimed that industrialists had not raised prices on their own. He reassured the committee that the government remained committed to protecting industries, controlling price hikes, and providing relief to consumers.
It is the responsibility of the State to protect industries and provide relief to consumers,” he said. Committee President Sherpa promised further discussions on the matter and added that the report from the study committee was awaited for broader discussions before a conclusion could be reached.#nepal #political #rss
