Traders told to weigh LPG cylinders before delivery

BIRATNAGAR, JUN 04

The Biratnagar regional office of the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has made it mandatory for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dealers and retailers to weigh the cylinders before delivery.

The move is aimed at preventing a possible short-delivery and protecting customers from leakage hazards. The instruction came amid complaints the cooking gas sold in the market weighed less.

“Most of the LPG dealers and retailers have not kept weighing machines. Any excuses for not weighing cylinders will not be accepted,” said Manish Kumar Das, regional chief of the bu.

“Instead of taking action against each retailer/dealer, we will directly punish bottling plants, if they supply gas to dealers/retailers that do not have the weighing scale,” he said. “All the LPG bottlers in the area have been circulated the notice.” Ram Karki, a consumer, said none of the dealers/retailers had weighing scale. “Even consumers do not weigh cylinders after paying, and such carelessness has encouraged traders to cheat customers.”

Karki said during shortages, consumers have to wait for days to get a cylinder, and they feel like winning a lottery if they get one.

There are eight LPG bottling plants in the eastern region and they receive 4,000 tonnes of the gas every month from the regional office of the Nepal Oil Corporation. They are Koshi, Rijal, Maruti, Prima, Mechi, Parajuli, Kankai and Sugam.

Meanwhile, understaffing at the bureau’s regional office has also been hampering effective market monitoring. The office has juts 10 staffers, while they have to look after 16 districts. The office even does not have a vehicle.

“In such a situation, we are unable to deliver our services as per the consumers’ need,” said Das. “Besides, we have small budget.”

The government had decided to establish a national standard body in each zone, but due to the April 25 earthquake, the plan fell apart.

Source: The Kathmandu Post