National >> Social Affairs
Skyrocketing prices fade festival spirit
KATHMANDU, SEP 21 - Spiralling market prices in the festive season has dampened the spirit of families with modest incomes.
“With my modest income, I can barely feed my family and buy children new cloths this Dashain,” says Dhan Prasad Sharma, a factory worker in Pokhara, Kaski district.
Consumers like Sharma say with one voice that the government must control the prices, especially of basic commodities.
Kapilnath Koirala of the Consumers Forum Pokhara says lack of a market monitoring mechanism and lawlessness have encouraged businessmen to hike prices as and when they want.
Pokhara has witnessed hikes in the prices of goods and products like meat, lentil, fruits, vegetables, garment and electric appliances, while the neighbouring district of Baglung has seen prices soaring by as much as 50 percent.
In western parts of Baglung, food supplies have dwindled owing to unethical increments in market prices. “We have to buy foods as our farm produce barely sustains us for two months. With prices shooting over the roof, we won’t be able to celebrate Dashain the way we would love to,” says Omprasad Sherchan of Chaur VDC-4, Baglung.
Shailendra Kumar Shrestha of the Consumers Forum Baglung says authorities concerned have not bothered to rein in market prices despite several requests.
Meanwhile, people from Tarai districts are flocking to Indian markets for shopping because goods come relatively cheap on the other side of the border. With hundreds of shoppers from Dhangadi of Kailali visiting the Indian market of Gauriphanta daily, shops there are doing brisk business.
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