(Updated)
KATHMANDU, Feb 13: Following stiff protest, the government withdrew its decision to hike the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and implement the dual pricing system of the cooking gas on Wednesday afternoon.
´Our board meeting today decided to halt the price hike for now and LPG will be available for Rs 1,470, the previous price,´ Suresh Agrawal, acting executive director of Nepal Oil Corporation told Republica Online.
Earlier, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai announced that the dual pricing system of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was withheld citing lack of necessary preparations. "Due to lack of necessary preparations, double pricing system of LPG has been withheld," PM Bhattarai tweeted.
About an hour earlier before this, the PM had tweeted, "The general public will not be affected as the price of (LP) gas for commercial use (blue) is fixed at Rs 2,100 and for household use (red) at Rs 1,550." The PM´s aide Bishwadeep Pandey also confirmed that the implementation of the government decision has been withheld for now.
Meanwhile the meeting of agitating students´ bodies has concluded, with the student leaders refusing to recognize the PM´s latest tweet on the dual pricing of LGP as official and insisting that they would continue with their protest until the government withdraws its decision to hike the price of cooking gas.
A day earlier, the government had increased the price of LPG (cooking gas) by Rs 630 to Rs 2,100 per cylinder introducing limited subsidy and separate color for household and industrial purposes effective from Wednesday.
As per the new provision, the government will provide 12 cylinders per household per year and four cylinders per student for a student per year at subsidized rate at Rs 1,550 per cylinder. Cylinders available for household and industrial use will be in red and blue color, respectively.
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