KATHMANDU, July 16: Home Minister Sudan Gurung on Wednesday assured victims of predatory lending, commonly known as meter byaj, that the government would address their demands through a Cabinet decision after arriving hours late for talks in Nijgadh.
The meeting took place late Wednesday evening after victims waited throughout the day for the minister, who had earlier agreed to resume negotiations at noon following an initial round of talks that lasted until 10 pm on Tuesday.
During the discussions, Gurung pledged that the government would take the necessary steps to resolve the victims' grievances.
Restrain using force against loan sharking victims
The talks had been scheduled for noon at the Nijgadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall. However, the minister did not reach the venue until around 7 pm, leaving the victims frustrated after repeated delays.
Sohan Sharma, one of the victims awaiting the meeting, said they were first told the minister would arrive at noon and were later informed that he would come at 4 pm. As the hours passed without his arrival, uncertainty among the protesters continued to grow.
Despite the delay, Awadhesh Kushwaha, chair of the Loan Shark Victims' Movement Nepal, said those leading a protest march from Janakpur to Kathmandu remained hopeful that the negotiations would yield concrete results.
According to Deputy Inspector General Om Adhikari, chief of Nepal Police in Madhesh Province, the minister's arrival was delayed because he was attending other official engagements in the region.
Before heading to Nijgadh, Gurung inspected industries, including Jagadamba Steel and Hulas Industries, in the Birgunj–Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor. He also visited the Sirsiya River near Lalka Bridge in Jitpur, where local residents complained that industrial pollution had severely contaminated the river and posed serious public health risks.
During the inspection, the minister instructed the concerned authorities to prioritize environmental protection and public health.
After completing the inspections, Gurung held talks with the victims in Nijgadh. He told them that fulfilling their demands would require a Cabinet decision before staying overnight at a hotel in the town.
