Industrialists,
operating businesses in industrial districts, have threatened to protest from
Sunday against the government's decision to hike the rental charge by up to
1,400 per cent.
Organising a press
conference at Reporters’ Club today, they issued a week-long protest plan which
will start from November 25 and last till December 2.
The hike is artificial
and illogical, said Nepal Industrialist District Industries Federation. "The
Industrial District Management Ltd hiked the rental charge without consulting
industrialists," it said. According to industrialists, rental charges have
been hiked from between 850 per cent to 1,400 per cent.
"We will not pay
the rent. We will protest the hike, if the government does not withdraw its
decision," the federation said. Industrialists have decided to present a
protest letter to industrial district management offices on November 25,
followed by a protest at the Chief District Officer and Industrial District
Management Ltd's offices (November 26), and hoist black flags at the industries
(November 27).
Similarly, the
federation will call for solidarity from other organisations on November 28. A
rally, burning the effigy of the general manager of the Industrial District
Management Ltd, and padlocking regional offices are other protest plans.
"We will declare the next protest plan if the rental hike is not
withdrawn," they said.
"The Industrial
District Management Ltd had agreed to hike the rent by 15 per cent every two
years but it has broken its promise," blamed president of the federation
Shailendra Lal Pradhan. "Industrialists will not accept the hike at any
cost." According to him, it is not the right time to hike the rent as
industrialists have been suffering from various crisis including energy
shortage, labour dispute and political instability.
The government has been
operating a dozen industrial districts across the country to provide basic
infrastructure to small and middle scale industries.
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