Nepal, March 23 -- The streets of Kathmandu witnessed yet another agitation in the never-ending series of protests staged by students unions against petroleum price hike by Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC). It has become bit of a ritual: there is a price hike, followed by protests, stage-ins, general strikes and targeted vandalism of government vehicles.

People from different walks resurrect the rhetoric of corruption, mismanagement, leakage and inefficiency of the state owned oil monopoly on such occasions and present different options for dealing with the growing price of petro products. Political leaders often resort to finding some scapegoat to calm down the street rage.

Formation of investigation commissions and reform committees has be...