Kathmandu, April 3: The government has urged the bodies concerned and the traders to provide petroleum products and daily consumption goods in an easy and smooth manner.    

Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand, who is also looking after the Prime Minister's portfolio, issued directives not to hike the price of essential goods, not to stop the sale and distribution and to make petroleum products easily available.    

"The government is ready to resolve the problems, if any, of the traders and entrepreneurs through dialogue. However, the government is bound to take action as per the law if shortage is created indicating to the problems," Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokhrel said, quoting the Home Minister.    

According to him, the Home Minister has issued directives to the secretaries of the ministries concerned, including the Home Ministry, today. Accordingly, the Ministry has, through a circular, directed the Chief District Officer in all the districts to send a report.    

The Ministry has also asked the district administration office of all the 77 districts to have the market monitoring committee carry out market monitoring and send the report, starting from Sunday itself. The Home Ministry's this step comes after public complaints of unusual price rises of daily consumer goods.    

The Home Ministry Spokesman said that the market monitoring committee headed by the Assistant Chief District Officer in each district will prepare a report on whether or not the prices have been hiked and there is a shortage of daily consumer items in the district. All the districts will send reports to the Ministry.    

Likewise, the Ministry has directed the bodies concerned to carry out monitoring, in the coordination of the Chamber of Commerce, on the supply and availability of daily consumer goods and on controlling price hikes. It has directed the district administration office to take action as per the law if any anomaly was found in course of the monitoring.