September 29: A parliamentary committee has expressed concerns regarding the recent price hike of daily essentials with the onset of the festive season.

The Industry, Commerce, Labor and Consumer Welfare Committee under the House of Representatives has expressed concerns regarding the issue after receiving complaints about skyrocketing prices of daily necessities including oil, rice and pulses due to weak monitoring of the government.

A meeting of the committee held at Singha Durbar on Tuesday discussed the issue and directed the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to make arrangements to ensure that daily food and consumable items  are available to the consumers at affordable prices during the festivals. Announcing the decision of the committee, Chairman Bimal Prasad Shrivastav directed the Ministry of Industry not to allow any kind of shortage of essential goods during the festivals.

He instructed the ministry to expand the monitoring for price hike in other districts outside the Kathmandu valley as well.

Chairman Shrivastav said that the committee has instructed the ministry to fill the shortage of drinking water in the market and resolve various problems seen in the far western region. The committee has also asked the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation to establish fair-price shops in some additional places as well.

"The meeting will direct the concerned bodies to make such arrangements for consumers to get food, daily necessities and other essentials at affordable prices during the festive season," said Chairman Shrivastav, “The concerned bodies have been told to make sure that there is no shortage of any item, and in case of shortage, the concerned bodies should take immediate action.”

The committee has also directed the concerned authorities to address the problem of  food shortage in the far western province. It also directed the Salt Trading Corproation to arrange for food items as well as sugar in other places too.