June 15: The Industry and Commerce and Labor and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives has formed a sub-committee to study the problems faced by sugarcane farmers and recommend solutions.

The five-member sub-committee has been formed under the coordination of committee member Krishna Kumar Shrestha. Ram Shankar Yadav, Suryaman Tamang (Dong), Kantika Sejuwal, and Ganesh Parajuli are the members of the sub-committee. A meeting of the parliamentary committee, chaired by Ranendra Baraili as the senior-most member, on Wednesday decided to form the sub-committee to study problems of sugar industry and sugarcane farmers and recommend suggestions.

The sub-committee has been given a time limit of 30 days to submit the study report.

This sub-committee will study and submit suggestions to the committee about issues such as the arrears amount that the sugarcane farmers should get from the sugar mills and also suggestions about the minimum support price.   

The parliamentary committee meeting also discussed issues such as the non-effective implementation of the provision of 'free visa free ticket' implemented by the government for Nepali migrant workers and the impact of the government's change in tax rates from the next fiscal year.

The meeting also discussed the 'Concept Paper’ prepared by the People’s Forum for Human Rights on the implementation of the order issued by the Supreme Court on foreign employment.

Similarly, the complaint of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association regarding the increase in gold customs and keeping gold and silver as a luxury item in the budget of the next fiscal year and the complaint of the Consumer Interest Protection Forum-Nepal regarding the unfair price increase in petroleum products were also discussed. The meeting also decided to invite officials of the line ministries and concerned agencies to further discuss on these issues in the next meeting of the committee.