KATHMANDU, Nov 19: Goons have disrupted the LPG refilling plants, blocking supply of the cooking gas to Kathmandu and causing thousands of households to suffer. But the local administration has not bothered to clear the obstructions.
Thousands of refilled LPG cylinders are ready for delivery from different refilling plants in Kathmandu, Dhading and Chitwan, and serpentine queues of LPG customers have become a common sight at different distribution centers in the capital since three or four days.
Thousands of refilled LPG cylinders are ready for delivery from different refilling plants in Kathmandu, Dhading and Chitwan, and serpentine queues of LPG customers have become a common sight at different distribution centers in the capital since three or four days.
Goons have blocked the gates of the refilling plants with tipper-trucks full of empty cylinders, demanding to exchange these for the refilled ones which they will then supply to consumers at inflated prices.
But the local police and administration and even the CDOs have not cooperated in smoothening the supply, officials said.
At the request of the refilling plant of HP Gas at Dharke, a team led by Hari Narayan Belbase, director of the Department of Commerce and Supply Management, had reached the plant site on Tuesday morning to see to the release of the 10,000 half-refilled cylinders. But the team could release only two trucks of cylinders.
The goons with at least three tipper-trucks full of empty cylinders collected from the households of Kathmandu blocked the plant gates. They also flexed their muscles at the team and manhandled them, Belbase told Republica. The cylinders had been collected from the households promising them the LPG at an inflated price.
"But the local administration, including police from the Area Police Office Khanikhola, did not help us and we felt greatly harassed," said Belbase. Goons also mobilized the locals although the latter's need for cooking gas has already been supplied. Talking to Republica over the phone, chief of the area police office Prem Bandhu Pokhrel denied that the police had done nothing to help. He said they released three more trucks of 500 cylinders each on Wednesday in addition to two trucks of about 500 cylinders each on Tuesday.
The HP plant had brought four bullets of LPG gas three days ago and half-refilled 10,000 cylinders, but most of these are still stuck at the plant.
Similar is the situation at the Everest Gas refilling plant at Chalnakhel, Lalitpur. A total of 8,000 cylinders have been ready for release since Monday but the plant management has reported to the local administration and the Department of Commerce and Supply Management that goons and the locals have been obstructing the plant gate for the last two days.
Shiva Ghimire, promoter of Everest Gas, said he wanted to distribute the cooking gas through his 321 dealers but there had been no cooperation from the police and the CDOs.
Ghimire claimed that they have already supplied cylinders to registered customers in the given localities. "If we distribute the cylinders from the factory gates almost all of them will end up in the black market," he added. It is also learnt that the big hotels in Kathmandu have sent their staff to the plants with dozens of empty cylinders, and even the locals in the vicinity of the plants and depots are involved in the onward sale of the cooking gas at inflated prices.
It is the ordinary householders who suffer as they cannot go to the plants and are at the mercy of the profiteers.
The commerce and supply department is also helpless because of the non-cooperation of the administration, said Director Belbase. Kathmandu Chief District Officer Ek Narayan Aryal said consumers are not getting their cooking gas due to obstruction at the factory gates by people numbering 1,000 or more who are demanding cylinders.
"We are trying to persuade those obstructing the gates to make the supply normal," Aryal said. He also made a commitment to ease the supply as soon as possible but did not provide any dates. Consumers with hundreds of empty cylinders of Everest Gas have been queuing for the last four days at Sifal, Kathmandu but it's still uncertain when they will get the essential fuel.
Likewise, obstructions by notorious groups have been created at the Nepal Gas refilling plant at Balaju, the Narayani Gas depot at Sitapaila, Salt Trading Corporation refilling plant at Junge in Dhading and the Lumbini Gas plant at Gaindakot, for the last couple of days. The cylinders remain stuck at the plants.
Bullets bringing in LPG via routes other than Birgunj have been diverted to Kathmandu, according to the gas companies.
In yet another instance of mismanagement, Nepal Oil Corporation has stocks of kerosene amounting to at least 750,000 liters but it has not distributed it.
"Distribution of the kerosene can ease the need for cooking fuel, but NOC has not bothered," said Belbase. NOC officials were not available for their comment.
But the local police and administration and even the CDOs have not cooperated in smoothening the supply, officials said.
At the request of the refilling plant of HP Gas at Dharke, a team led by Hari Narayan Belbase, director of the Department of Commerce and Supply Management, had reached the plant site on Tuesday morning to see to the release of the 10,000 half-refilled cylinders. But the team could release only two trucks of cylinders.
The goons with at least three tipper-trucks full of empty cylinders collected from the households of Kathmandu blocked the plant gates. They also flexed their muscles at the team and manhandled them, Belbase told Republica. The cylinders had been collected from the households promising them the LPG at an inflated price.
"But the local administration, including police from the Area Police Office Khanikhola, did not help us and we felt greatly harassed," said Belbase. Goons also mobilized the locals although the latter's need for cooking gas has already been supplied. Talking to Republica over the phone, chief of the area police office Prem Bandhu Pokhrel denied that the police had done nothing to help. He said they released three more trucks of 500 cylinders each on Wednesday in addition to two trucks of about 500 cylinders each on Tuesday.
The HP plant had brought four bullets of LPG gas three days ago and half-refilled 10,000 cylinders, but most of these are still stuck at the plant.
Similar is the situation at the Everest Gas refilling plant at Chalnakhel, Lalitpur. A total of 8,000 cylinders have been ready for release since Monday but the plant management has reported to the local administration and the Department of Commerce and Supply Management that goons and the locals have been obstructing the plant gate for the last two days.
Shiva Ghimire, promoter of Everest Gas, said he wanted to distribute the cooking gas through his 321 dealers but there had been no cooperation from the police and the CDOs.
Ghimire claimed that they have already supplied cylinders to registered customers in the given localities. "If we distribute the cylinders from the factory gates almost all of them will end up in the black market," he added. It is also learnt that the big hotels in Kathmandu have sent their staff to the plants with dozens of empty cylinders, and even the locals in the vicinity of the plants and depots are involved in the onward sale of the cooking gas at inflated prices.
It is the ordinary householders who suffer as they cannot go to the plants and are at the mercy of the profiteers.
The commerce and supply department is also helpless because of the non-cooperation of the administration, said Director Belbase. Kathmandu Chief District Officer Ek Narayan Aryal said consumers are not getting their cooking gas due to obstruction at the factory gates by people numbering 1,000 or more who are demanding cylinders.
"We are trying to persuade those obstructing the gates to make the supply normal," Aryal said. He also made a commitment to ease the supply as soon as possible but did not provide any dates. Consumers with hundreds of empty cylinders of Everest Gas have been queuing for the last four days at Sifal, Kathmandu but it's still uncertain when they will get the essential fuel.
Likewise, obstructions by notorious groups have been created at the Nepal Gas refilling plant at Balaju, the Narayani Gas depot at Sitapaila, Salt Trading Corporation refilling plant at Junge in Dhading and the Lumbini Gas plant at Gaindakot, for the last couple of days. The cylinders remain stuck at the plants.
Bullets bringing in LPG via routes other than Birgunj have been diverted to Kathmandu, according to the gas companies.
In yet another instance of mismanagement, Nepal Oil Corporation has stocks of kerosene amounting to at least 750,000 liters but it has not distributed it.
"Distribution of the kerosene can ease the need for cooking fuel, but NOC has not bothered," said Belbase. NOC officials were not available for their comment.
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