SMUGGLERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RELAXED BORDER RESTRICTIONS
SARLAHI, Nov 17: A long queue of people is seen every morning on Nawalpur-Malangawa road section of Sarlahi. The local people are far outnumbered by the smugglers who line up with the intention to buy gas cylinders, diesel, petrol and cooking oil in large quantities and sell them in the black market.
After people from hill community were given special discounts to bring gas and petrol from Sonbarsa, some smugglers, taking advantage of the situation, have started to sell goods brought from India in the black market.
After people from hill community were given special discounts to bring gas and petrol from Sonbarsa, some smugglers, taking advantage of the situation, have started to sell goods brought from India in the black market.
Although members of the public, too, got some relief as they were allowed to bring essential goods for Chhath from the Indian market, smugglers have benefited the most from the opportunity.
Some youths, who have been providing diesel to long-distance buses plying in Nawalpur, have collected more than two hundred litres of petrol after Deepawali festival. They hire daily laborers and rent motorcycles to bring diesel, gas and petrol from India.
Some youths, who have been providing diesel to long-distance buses plying in Nawalpur, have collected more than two hundred litres of petrol after Deepawali festival. They hire daily laborers and rent motorcycles to bring diesel, gas and petrol from India.
Gas cylinders, purchased for INR 1,000 from India, are sold along the highways for Rs 3,000. District president of Tarai Madhesh Sadhbhawana Party Kaushal Kishor Roy informed that those gas cylinders are sent to Kathmandu through night buses and sold for up to Rs 10,000 per cylinder.
He said that in some cases the smugglers are paid in advance who then hire motorcycles to bring cylinders up to Nawalpur and send them to Kathmandu, making the profit of up to Rs 8,000 per cylinder. The motorcycles which come to take passengers in the southern part of Nawalpur sell petrol from their tanks for Rs 200 per liter.
The ongoing strike, protest and blockade have crippled normal life across the country.
People are forced to pay Rs 225 for a liter of cooking oil, which was available for just Rs 140 before the India imposed trade blockade.
Smugglers queue up at Indian petrol pumps for around two hours to get the fuel, which they sell at higher cost along the highway in Nepal. The front has informed that more than 40 motorcycles involved in transporting fuel have been torched.
Chief District Officer (CDO) of Sarlahi Megh Nath Kafle said that the black market is flourishing instead of being controlled as police and local administration are unable to monitor the situation.
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