The government has formed a committee under the convenorship of Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey to hold talks with India for easing the supply of essential goods including the petroleum products.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the Prime Minister's residence at Baluwatar on Friday constituted the committee. Chief Secretary Somlal Subedi and the secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Nagendra Prasad Upadhyaya are the members of the committee.

The government also constituted a committee comprising Minister for Commerce and Supplies Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Chief Secretary Subedi, the finance secretary and the commerce secretary to carry out a study on alternative means and demand regarding the importation of petroleum products, according to Minister for Information and Communications Minendra Rijal.

Likewise, the Cabinet meeting constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the National Planning Commission vice chairman to recommend to the government on the ways of promoting the use and production of alternative energy. Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, finance secretary and secretary at the Ministry of Energy are the members of this committee.