The government on Saturday enforced a new pricing policy and raised the price of diesel by 25 percent for industries and hotels, among others. Diesel is a popular industrial fuel and diesel generators are widely used to produce electricity needed for the factories to run during power-cuts.[break]
As part of the protest, entrepreneurs organized a rally under the banner of Morang Trade Association and Industry Organization, Morang. They raised slogans condemning the government and demanding it to roll back the dual-pricing decision.
The rally ended in the District Administration Office, Morang, where entrepreneurs handed over their memorandum, including their demands, to the government.
The decision to hike diesel price for industries, hotels, missions and hospitals, among others, had drawn strong criticism from the business community.
While a delegation led by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Monday met Commerce and Supply Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta seeking revocation of the decision, industrialists and entrepreneurs in Biratnagar have refused to buy even a single liter of diesel since the controversial decision was taken.
"We will let our industries remain shut but we will not buy diesel until the government cancels its decision," said Abhinash Bohora, president of Morang Trade Association.
Talking to Republica, Dinesh Golchha, president of Trade Organization, Morang, expressed his resentment against the government decision that forced businessmen to launch the strike.
Under the dual-pricing decision, which NOC has claimed will help it cut losses and step up imports, the corporation has fixed the diesel price at Rs 95 per liter for industries. It has, however, continued to supply the fuel at Rs 76 per liter to transporters and other consumers.
According to entrepreneurs, each of the industries located along the Morang-Sunsari corridor consumes diesel in a range of 200 to 1,500 liters a day. The corridor currently suffers power-cuts for 6 hours a day.
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