Speaking at a press conference organised by Press Centre, Morang Chapter, in Biratnagar on Tuesday, Minister Mandal said the concerned authorities have not been able to punish the black marketers due to lack of legal authority.
“Markets have been monitored 17,000 times in the past five years, but there is no record of action taken against them as the monitoring body does not have the authority,” he said. “There is rampant adulteration of food items and petroleum products and black marketing has been increasing rapidly due to lack of law.”
Saying that the Local Administration has the right to take action against the black marketeers, the supplies minister said the Ministry has the right to close the shops involved in black marketeering for only 90 days.
“Durbarmarg-based shops have been opened amid pressure and completing the legal process, but the owners have been warned that they would be punished if they were found involved in carrying out black marketing in the coming days,” he said.
He lamented the fact that market monitoring could not be effective as expected due to lack proper coordination by Customs Department.
Earlier, as many as six Durbarmarg-based outlets of Nike, Puma, Bentley and Store One brands were sealed for allegedly charging exorbitant price in their products.
Moreover, Minister Mandal said that Nepal Oil Corporation Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka has just been sacked from his post, but he won’t get impunity for financial irregularities.
The government on September 18 had sacked Khadka for his involvement in irregularities while buying land plots in four districts for building oil storage facilities.
He expressed his confidence that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the court would punish him.
No comments