Kathmandu, Jan. 24 -- Baburam Rokka bought a bag of rice for Rs1,600 a month ago. When he went to buy another bag a few days ago, the price had gone up by Rs100.

Rokka, 42, a resident from Godavari, Lalitpur, said the prices of food items from rice to vegetables have been increasing every month but his income has remained stagnant.

"It has become harder to run a family with my income with the hike in food prices," said Rokka, a school teacher.

While traders claim that food prices have gone up due to a hike in prices of raw materials in the international market, consumer rights activists say that political instability has fuelled the hike.

The political uncertainty with the dissolution of the House of Representatives by Prime Minister ...