Bhairahawa, Oct.30: Vice President of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), Nepal, Kamal Gautam, who collapsed while speaking at a sit-in program organized to protest against the power cuts imposed by the Nepal Electricity Authority in 13 industries in Rupandehi, has passed away.
President of Siddhartha Industry and Commerce Association, Rupandehi, Netra Prasad Acharya said Gautam, who suddenly collapsed, was taken to Crimson Hospital in Manigram for treatment, where he breathed his last.
A day earlier, at the meeting in Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gautam had said that they would institutionally take a movement.
Speaking at the sit-in, Gautam appeared in a galled and fiery manner and accused the government of trapping industries and urged the workers to unite and protest.
He said that industrialists have been suffering because they have been paying their electricity bills regularly every month, but were suddenly slapped with bills worth four months.
False information about an industrialist cheating the general public has been spread. I would like to provide proof from here that the industrialists have not cheated”, , said Gautam.
He said, “This has happened due to the irresponsibility of the government and the electricity authority. Electricity employees have to pay this money from their own pockets.” According to him, the movement needs to be taken as a symbol.
He pointed out that 25,000 workers were losing their jobs. His voice faltered as he said that he did not want to lose the workers.
Immediately after Gautam collapsed, he was taken to the Cremation Hospital for treatment, where he breathed his last.
Dr Laxman Dubey, a senior cardiologist working at the hospital, said that he had already died on the way to the hospital. “He may have died due to a heart attack,” he said.
