Students give 24 hours deadline to withdraw fuel price hike

KATHMANDU, Sept 5: Seventeen student unions affiliated to various political parties on Wednesday threatened stringent protests if the government does not withdraw its decision to hike fuel prices within 24 hours.



The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) on Sunday night raised Rs 5 per liter of petrol, Rs 4 on kerosene and diesel and Rs 55 on the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder. With the revised price, petrol now costs Rs 125 per liter, diesel and kerosene Rs 97 and LPG cylinder costs Rs 1470.[break]



The government move to raise fuel prices has come under strong criticism.



"At a time when voices are being raised to curb price inflation of essential goods, the fuel price hike has added financial burden to consumers," said Madhav Dhungel, chairman of All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU), affiliated to the CPN-UML.



“We students will be compelled to come up with strong street protests if the government does not take back its decision by tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.



Earlier, student unions including Nepali Congress aligned Nepal Student Union as well as ANNFSU, ANNISU-Revolutionary and others protested in the capital demanding the government scrap the fuel price hike decision.

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