PM Deuba directs ministers, secretaries to ensure consumers' rights

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 26 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the ministers and secretaries to ensure consumers' rights by protecting them from deception in the market during the ongoing festive season. He said, "Artificial price hike at a time of the festivals like Dashain, Tihar and Chhath must be curbed. Adulterated food is another worry during the festivals." PM Deuba said it during a programme at his residence, Baluwatar, yesterday.

The concerned sectors must continue market monitoring and inspection. Availability, sales, and distribution of quality food are essential, the PM underscored. PM Deuba viewed, "I direct the concerned agencies to conduct monitoring having representatives from different sectors to inspect the unfair deals in the market. The unfair transactions must be controlled from federal to local levels."

According to him, agencies such as the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Home Ministry, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Supply, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and others should play a special role to create a consumer-rights friendly atmosphere, PM Deuba reiterated. The general public must not be left in panic with artificial shortages and black marketing of daily essential goods.

Addressing a high-level meeting of four ministers and secretaries, PM Deuba issued a 12-point direction to them regarding consumers' rights and market monitoring. The meeting was attended by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply, Dilendra Prasad Badu; Minister for Finance, Janardan Sharma; Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transport, Mohammad Istiyak Raye; Minister for Health and Population, Bhawani Prasad Khapung; Minister of State at PM's Office, Umesh Shrestha; and secretaries of the related ministries, CDOs from three districts of Kathmandu Valley, and Director General at Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumers' Protection, Mahesh Bhattarai,among others.

During the meeting, Minister for Industry, Badu, apprised the PM Deuba of current market monitoring and also informed that the concerned bodies were already directed to make effective market monitoring.