A joint meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel on Thursday in the presence of high ranking officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), home ministry, agriculture ministry and representatives from private sector fixed the MRPs of four varieties of rice and two varieties each from mas pulse, lentil and mung pulses. [break]
Similarly, MRP for gram, white pea, bean, wheat flour refined flour and all kinds of edible oils have also been fixed.
“The decision will be effective from Friday subject to review in every 15 days if deemed necessary. Any traders ignoring the MRPs set by the government will be brought to book as per the existing laws,” Narayan Prasad Bidari, director general of the Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCM) told Republica.
However, traders said they are not in a position to immediately implement the decision as long as stocks of goods purchased earlier are not cleared. “We need around a week sell the commodities at the government fixed MRPs as we need time to sell out our existing stocks that have been purchased at higher prices,” said Pabitra Bajracharya, president of Nepal Retailers Association.
The MRP of general Sona Mansuli has been fixed at Rs 36, steamed Sona Mansuli Rs 46, General Jeera Masino Rs 55, steamed jeera Masino Rs 60 per kg, mas pulse (made from medium-sized grain) Rs 96, mas pulse ( made from big-sized grain Rs 105 lentil (made from medium-sized grain) Rs 93,lentil (with big-sized grain) Rs 102 per kg, mug pulse (made from medium-sized grain) Rs 117, mug pulses (made from big-sized grain) Rs 127, gram Rs 107, white pea Rs 65, bean Rs 95 per kg, wheat flour Rs 31 and refined at Rs 36 per kg.
Without fixing MRPs, the government has instructed the traders to give two percent discount on the prevailing prices of all kinds of edible oils available in the market.
However, the government has assigned the Salt Trading Corporation (STC) to fix the MRP of salt and sugar at the earliest.
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