What NPTL was essentially involved in was the refitting of foot and neck rings by cutting off the original ones, thus reducing the capacity of the cylinders to withstand pressure thereby raising the risk of accidents. By doing so, it not only caused substantial financial loss to other companies but also cut down their market share. This is anti-competitive practice and hence against the law. But the most important point here is that the company played with the lives of its consumers.
Though NPTL has flouted all pertaining laws including the Standards Act, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) regulations, Consumer Rights Protection Act and Competition Law, the regulators seem to be transferring the responsibility of taking action to each other rather than working together to bring the company to book.
Similarly, Chief District Officer of Sunsari district, Ram Prasad Thapaliya, was unavailable even for the submission of the first investigation report raising suspicions even within his own office that he was trying to protect the guilty. He must provide answers for his unresponsiveness. NOC, meanwhile, has done nothing other than stopping supply of gas to Sugam Gas Company – sister concern of NPTL – citing the reason that its existing by-law does not allow it to take further action against wrongdoers. If such is the case, NOC must now make sure to amend its law so that in future it has the teeth to come down heavily against such companies without any delay.
We demand an immediate action against Ghimire. Nothing less would suffice. The government also must ensure that all the tampered LPGs are reclaimed from the market immediately. It must also investigate and find out if the petrol pumps and Makalu Television that Ghimire owns benefitted from the money that he made illegitimately from NPTL. If that is indeed the case, the government must seize and take control of those businesses too.
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