Speaking at the committee's meeting on Thursday, they said the committee had not initiated any action against government officials who have been repeatedly defying its directions. “For us, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee is the topmost body working to uphold consumer rights. But it is also limiting its role in merely issuing directive to government officials,” he said, adding, “The committee is doing nothing to ensure that its directives are implemented.”
Stating that the skyrocketing price of essential commodities has made mockery of consumer rights, he urged the committee to form a special taskforce for effective market monitoring.
Similarly, Prem Lal Maharjan, president of National Consumers Forum (NCF), said government agencies were blatantly defying the committee's directives. “Price of daily commodities has increased by as much as three times. But the government is doing nothing to control the black market,” he added. Maharjan said the committee should study whether or not its directives were implemented by the concerned government agencies
Likewise, Madhav Timalsina, president of Consumer Rights Investigation Forum (CRIF), urged the government to ease distribution of petroleum products. “People close to government officials and power centers are easily getting fuel, while commoners have to wait in line for hours,” he added.
Meanwhile, Naindra Prasad Upadhyaya, secretary of MoCS, said the government has mobilized monitoring teams at different levels to control black market of essential goods. “We have initiated taking action against traders involved in irregularities,” he added.
On the occasion, Shambhu Koirala, director general of the Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCSM), said that the government was committed to systematize distribution of petroleum products.
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