Government imposes Esential Service Act

The government imposed Essential Service Act (ESA) today to intervene on essential services including transportation to foil the strike on import and distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas by the gas bottlers. The decision was published in the gazette today.
“The Home Ministry has imposed the ESA though the gazette following the recommendation from the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies due to strike of Nepal LPG Industries Association that has threatened to bring the gas distribution to a halt from today,” secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Lal Mani Joshi said.
The Essential Service Act prohibits the strikes on essential sectors like hospitals, telephone, electricity, transport and drinking water as they come under the basic services and government can enforce law using force, if necessary, to protect the consumers rights.
After the failure of the repeated talks between the government and the gas bottlers, the government is forced to impose the Act, he added. The Nepal Oil Corporation, gas bottlers and the ministry had met for several rounds of meetings in the last week but the bottlers were adamant on their demands.