Consumer groups skeptical over delay in action

KATHMANDU, Aug 5: While the government has seemingly been reluctant to disclose the findings of its raid on three major warehouses in the capital, consumer rights groups have increasingly grown skeptical if the authorities would actually bring the unscrupulous traders to book. [break]



Consumer rights groups are concerned that the inordinate delay in governmental action against such traders might encourage them to fabricate documents and possibly even influence prosecutors. "One fails to understand why the government has taken so long to take action," said Ram Chandra Simkhada, secretary of Upabhokta Hit Samrakshan Manch.



Following the raids, the traders had been asked to appear in person at the District Administration Office (DAO) with full set of documents the other day. However, they only sent their staffers empty-handed. Consumer rights groups are equally concerned that they were not involved in the investigation. "We were asked to be a part of the investigation process," Simkhada told myrepublica.com.



Furthermore, the DAO did not continue its clampdown though more than hundred warehouses in Kuleshwar alone are learnt to have illegally hoarded food stocks. The DAO had carried out raids in warehouses belonging to Bansal Traders and Shyambaba Enterprises in Kuleshwar and also in major warehouse of KL Dugar Group in Koteshwar on July 25.



According to a DAO official, the traders were found to have fixed unusually high prices of commodities. The traders claimed that they had to hike prices of products as political parties and their affiliates frequently demanded hefty donations from them. "It was also the Ministry for commerce and supplies that asked us to maintain stocks for ´emergency purposes´," the official quoted the traders as saying. CDO Bhola Sitaula told myrepublica.com that he would disclose the report of the investigation on Friday.

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