Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Officials and witnesses claimed police in Nepal's capital sprayed tear gas and charged demonstrators...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Officials and witnesses claimed police in Nepal's capital sprayed tear gas and charged demonstrators with sticks on Monday to disperse a student rally over fuel price hikes, in a sign of growing public unhappiness with rising inflation.
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), a state-owned monopoly, raised the price of a litre of petrol and diesel by 12 percent and 16 percent, respectively, on Monday, raising fears of further price hikes.
After being prevented from rallying in Kathmandu, some 100 protestors from the All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU), the student branch of the main opposition Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), battled with police.
A protester, Girish Thagunna, said of the price raise, "This is an act of the government's utter irresponsibility." "This is incorrect and should be removed immediately."
According to Dinesh Mainali, a police official, demonstrators flung stones and damaged a police vehicle, but no one was hurt or arrested.
According to municipal officials, fares for public transportation and goods trucks have increased by up to 7.7% as a result of the increase in gasoline prices.
Food and energy prices have risen, putting Nepal's 29 million inhabitants at risk of social instability. In mid-May, annual retail inflation hit a six-year high of 7.87 percent.
Dilendra Prasad Badu, the Minister of Supplies, told a parliamentary committee on Monday that the increase was required due to a rise in world oil prices and to assist the loss-making NOC in paying for imports.
125.22 Nepalese rupees = $1
