SC raps govt for hike in petro products’ price

Kathmandu, Sept 24-The Supreme Court on friday ordered the government to produce before the apex court its grounds for hiking the prices of petroleum products. A division bench of Justices Bal Ram KC and Paramananda Jha issued the order following today’s hearing. The bench also ordered the authorities the Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply and the Nepal Oil Corporation to produce the techniques and formulas adopted while hiking the prices of petroleum products. The bench observed that it was the people’s right to know the grounds on which the government fixes prices of petroleum products. The bench, however, said there was no need to issue a stay order to the government for not implementing the decision regarding the recent price hike. The bench order came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) writ filed by advocate Chandra Kanta Gyawali, who had challenged the government’s decision on August 22 to hike prices of major petroleum products by Rs 5 per litre.