KATHMANDU: The administration has come under increased fire from opposition parties, who claim that a newly proposed rule supports illicit market activities. If their complaints are not addressed, lawmakers have voiced increasing displeasure and threatened to disrupt the next session of the federal parliament on January 31.
Lawmaker Rajan Dahal of the Maoist Center charged during a Public Accounts Committee meeting that the government was enabling illegal trade by modifying laws through the ordinance. He urged its quick repeal, claiming that such measures hurt citizens and compromise public accountability.
Dahal noted that cement costs had risen sharply following the decree. PPC cement has gone up in price from Rs 365 to Rs 670, while OPC cement has gone up from Rs 465 to Rs 750. He accused the administration of prioritizing corporate interests over the general welfare and questioned if these price hikes were essential.
Criticism was also directed at Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Damodar Bhandari, with lawmakers holding him accountable for the price increases. Dahal claimed that changes to the Black Market Act, which removed penalties for excessive profit margins, were deliberately designed to benefit middlemen at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Dr. Amaresh Kumar Singh, an independent MP, charged that the government was taking advantage of the crisis to raise more money through VAT on inflated cement prices. He said the strategy was a planned attempt to make billions of dollars at the expense of people's well-being.
Singh also said that by putting revenue collection ahead of the general welfare, the government has essentially turned into a spokesperson for interests in the underground market. Other lawmakers who called for prompt action to stop the price increases agreed with this sentiment.
Lawmaker Aman Lal Modi of the Maoist Centre echoed the criticism, threatening to boycott parliamentary sessions if Hrishikesh Pokharel, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, did not resign. Given that Pokharel and the Prime Minister are members of the same political party, Modi invoked a conflict of interest.
According to Modi, these connections made it more difficult for the committee to operate objectively and successfully hold the government responsible. He underlined that in order to rebuild confidence and guarantee open decision-making, leadership changes are required.
Cement price increases have become a major problem, and opposition leaders are calling on the government to act quickly to safeguard consumers and keep the people from experiencing further financial hardship. Because it allowed exploitative behaviors to continue, the ordinance was criticized.
Lawmakers also questioned the government's commitment to public welfare, arguing that the price increases unfairly affect the general public, particularly those who work in the construction sector. They called for more stringent laws to prevent such circumstances in the future.
The Public Accounts Committee has pledged to keep examining the administration's actions in order to hold it accountable for decisions that have caused severe economic hardship. Lawmakers emphasized the significance of correcting regulations that encourage profiteering and addressing public concerns.
More important problems with the government's policy framework, such as a perceived lack of transparency and accountability, have been brought to light by the controversy surrounding the ordinance. Opposition parties have demanded more monitoring to stop such choices from happening in the future.
As tensions rise and opposition lawmakers are prepared to make further demands, the federal parliament session might become a battleground for addressing these grievances. The administration is under growing pressure to repeal the decree and prioritize measures that advance the well-being of everybody.
The scenario illustrates the growing divide between the people and the government as lawmakers continue to resist policies that they feel unfairly benefit industrialists and middlemen at the expense of the general public.
