Mahabir Pun Alleges Corruption in Taxi Black Plate Distribution, Calls for Monkey Control Research

Kathmandu. Member of Parliament Mahabir Pun has stated that there is a huge financial manipulation and corruption in the distribution of taxi black number plates. Speaking during the emergency time in the meeting of the House of Representatives held on Thursday, MP Pun claimed that taxi entrepreneurs and workers are being severely exploited. MP Pun mentioned that the government charges customs duty of 250 to 300 percent on taxi imports, and an additional 1.5 million rupees are being illegally collected for the 'black plate'. He expressed suspicion that there could be collusion from the provincial government to the department, and demanded an immediate investigation and cancellation. He said, 'It costs 3 to 3.5 million rupees to buy a taxi, and on top of that, there is a compulsion to pay an additional 1.5 million rupees to get a black plate. This is extreme syndicate and corruption.' He mentioned that it would take about 25 months for a taxi driver to earn back 1.5 million rupees, and that such a system makes it difficult for the families of low-class workers to make a living. Similarly, MP Pun expressed the view that merely raising the issue in parliament would not solve the problem of 'monkey terror' across the country. He emphasized the need for concrete research and technology for this. He said, 'I have been raising this issue for seven years, and an attempt has been made to research it through the National Innovation Center by spending 5 to 6 million rupees. No concrete technology to drive away monkeys has been found anywhere in the world yet. To solve this problem, the government should allocate research budgets ranging from 2 to 7 million rupees.' He expressed his excitement upon learning that the government is about to form an expert team to control monkey terror and informed that he is willing to work in that team. He argued that the problem cannot be solved without in-depth scientific research on the behavior and control measures of monkeys, as they are very intelligent animals.