Money
Western districts face shortage of cooking gas
A number of districts in the western region are facing cooking gas shortage, as dealers have stopped sales since January 4 after bottling plants slashed the commission rate for retailers.Amrita Anmol
A number of districts in the western region are facing cooking gas shortage, as dealers have stopped sales since January 4 after bottling plants slashed the commission rate for retailers.
Most of the gas bottling plants have reduced the commission by Rs18 per cylinder to Rs32 in Lumbini zone and districts such as Syangja, Pyuthan, Rolpa and Dang, citing a provision put in place by Nepal Oil Corporation to limit the commission to Rs32 per cylinder.
“Unlike in Kathmandu, dealers cannot operate with just Rs32 commission as they have bigger investment in storage and safety infrastructure and so is the operating cost ,” said Rajesh Dahal, general secretary of the Gas Dealers Federation.
He said although industries such as Baba and Sai baba have reinstated the previous commission rate of Rs50 per cylinder, others have yet to do so. He warned of expanding the protest if the situation continued.
As part of the protest, dealers are staging sit-in at five gas industries—Sidhartha, Trisul, Butwal, Swastik and Arati—based in Rupandehi district.
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) said it was working to solve the problem. “Our local bodies are holding negotiations,” said NOC Spokesperson Bhanubhakta Khanal.
After severe gas crisis in the market, the local administration on Thursday held talks with dealers and bottlers, but to no avail, as the two parties were firm in their stand.
Gyaneshwor Aryal, president of the Gas Dealers Federation, asked if industries in other districts are paying Rs50 commission, why should the same rate not be implemented in Lumbini?
However, industries said they would face losses of the commission is hiked.