Nationwide strike called by students against fuel price hike called off

The nationwide general strike (also called Nepal bandh) imposed by various youth wings and student unions affiliated to opposition parties has been called off after 10 am to mourn the demise of veteran revolutionary leader Ramraja Prasad Singh on Wednesday.

A half-day long general strike (from 6 to 12 noon) had been called by nine students unions and youth wings protesting against Bhattarai government's decision to hike the prices of petroleum products.

Earlier, the agitating students had reduced the duration of their nationwide general strike to half a day after the government agreed to provide subsidy to students on cooking gas and kerosene.

However, vehicular movement that had come to a grinding halt in the Capital Kathmandu and many towns across the country since early morning has just started to resume. Shops and businesses in the market areas have also started to do normal business, but private offices, industries and academic institutions were affected owing to the shut down. Office-goers had difficulty commuting to work Wednesday morning due to lack of public vehicles.

Saying that government's move to hike the prices of fuel will only cause inflation, youth wings and students unions affiliated to opposition parties have been organising various protest programs from the past many days to exert pressure on the government to revoke its decision. nepalnews.com