Tribeni Gas Industry in Jogimara, Dhading has not been able to ship out cooking gas for the past week due to a protest launched by its workers.

The government had ordered gas plants to issue fully filled cylinders from Tuesday, but six agitating workers have been preventing the factory from delivering its products.

“About 35 tonnes of gas brought in two bullets are stuck at the plant,” said Subodh Subedi, manager of Tribeni Gas Industry.

“Cylinders are in short supply as gas plants were told to sell half-filled cylinders so that there would be more gas to go around.”

According to Subedi, they could not implement the government’s directive to distribute fully filled cylinders as six local workers have been staging a protest.

One of the agitators Sajan Basnet said that the plant owners didn’t listen to their demands which they had presented six months ago. Two trucks loaded with gas cylinders have not been allowed to leave for Kathmandu.

Subedi said the owners Santosh Bhagat and Khagendra Shrestha have been asked to come to the factory to settle the dispute with the workers.

Meanwhile, Nanda Lal Sharma, administrative officer at the District Administration Office, Dhading, said that the factory owners had been instructed to sort things out to ensure that gas distribution is not disrupted. There are 13 gas plants in Dhading.