KATHMANDU, March 1: The Nepal Student Union (NSU), student wing of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, has staged demonstrations across the country on Sunday against the government’s recent decision to collect the additional infrastructure development tax on petroleum products.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers of Friday had decided to raise the tax on petroleum products by Rs 5 per liter.

The government has already been collecting Rs 5 per liter since the fiscal year 2017/18 to finance the Budhigandaki Project. With the raise, the government collects a total of Rs 10.

“The government has not utilized Rs 41 billion collected by increasing the petrol cost by Rs 5 in the name of Budigandaki. The recent decision to impose additional infrastructure tax in condemnable,” the NSU said in a press release on Saturday and announced the nation-wide protest programs.

The student union has also criticized the government for “covering” Baskota, who resigned on Feb 20 after he was caught bargaining for Rs 700 million bribe with a local agent of a Swiss company over the procurement of security printing press in a leaked audio recording.

“The corrupt government has tried to cover Baskota only asking for his resignation. We demand an investigation and action against the ex-minister,” the NSU stated.

The NSU has also demanded the cancellation of 10 percent tax imposed on books, and guarantee of election of the FSU.

The NSU demonstrated at the gate of different campuses across the nation including Tri-Chandra, Shankar Dev, Saraswoti, Patan Multiple, Pashupati Multiple of Kathmandu Valley, said NSU’s general secretary Deepak Bhattarai.

“The incumbent government has not been able to carry out activities in favor of the people,” he added.

KATHMANDU, Jan 30:The Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday has formed a three-member central ad hoc committee of its student wing Nepal Student Union, and named Rajiv Dhungana as the president and Manoj Baidya and Maheshwari Kunwar as the general secretaries, according to the party.

Issuing a press release today, the party stated that the ad hoc committee has been tasked to hold the 12th convention of the NSU within six months, which will elect a new executive committee.

“The members of the ad hoc committee can not register their candidacy in the convention,” the release reads.

Likewise, the students not exceeding 32 years at the time of dissolution of the NSU central committee (on February 12, 2019) will be eligible to participate in the convention, the party stated.

The NSU has failed to hold a convention since 2007.

Reporters Club Event: A group of students associated with the Nepal Student Union (NSU), a student wing of the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) has drawn serious attention toward its parent party’s attempt to form a central ad hoc committee by breaching the union’s statute.

The agitating students have accused the NC of trying to appoint overaged members in the NSU central ad hoc committee which, according to them, seriously violates the provision in the NSU statue that prohibits nominating a member exceeding the age of 32 in the committee.

Organizing a press conference at the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Wednesday, Nawaraj Tripathi, a member of the union said, “It is wrong to try to appoint a person above the age of 50 in the NSU ad hoc committee leadership.

“It is our demand that the party nominates members in the committee as provisioned in the NSU statue,” he added.

“On what moral ground will the committee formed by breaching the statute will distribute general membership,” he questioned.

A press release issued by the dissatisfied students states: “As per the constitution formulated by directive committee formed by the NC to conduct the 11th convention of the NSU, directive issued by the central committee to conduct the district convention in all 77 districts and NSU statute 2027 seventh amendment 2075 Part II Article 5 (5) which restricts a person aged above 32 to become a member of the NSU, district conventions in 16 districts and lower level convention in 40 districts have concluded; and in the context when 21 districts are preparing to hold convention, we conclude the NC leadership’s attempt to appoint an overaged person to the committee by violating the NSU statute is an insult of the democratic practice.”

NSU Tribhuvan University Committee Secretary Yogendra Rawal said the attempt to convert the NSU into Nepal Elders’ Union is not acceptable to them.

“It is an insult to energetic students,” he said.

The dissatisfied students have also warned of a plausible strike in front of the NC Central Office, Sanepa if the ad hoc committee is not formed as per the NSU statute.