Fuel crisis in valley to prolong
KATHMANDU, June 29:
Its one after another transporter association that is creating fuel crisis in the Valley.
No sooner Central-Region Tanker Transporters’ Association ended its strike, Nepal Petroleum Transporters’ Federation announced strike from today that is going to create fuel shortage for some more days. The Valleyiets have been facing the fuel crisis since last week and “the decision of yet another association is going to hit the consumers’ life hard,” deputy managing director at Nepal Oil Corporation Bachchu Kumar Kafle said.
Import of petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been disrupted forcing the valley petroleum pumps to close down, he said, adding the state-oil monopoly could not load petroleum products from Raxaul depot of Indian Oil Corporation today due to strike of tankers’ association.
Earlier, protesting the decision of Nepal Oil Corporation of transferring sixty tankers on Raxaul-Kathmandu route from Barauni-Amlekhgunj route, the Central-Region Tanker Transporters’ Association had started its strike from June 22 which had been lasted for three days.
The association had called off its strike on June 25 following a deal with the Nepal Oil Corporation. According to the agreement, state-oil monopoly had agreed to revoke its decision to buy 60 new tankers for carrying petroleum products from Raxaul to Kathmandu.
However, the agreement could not solve the dispute among transporters as Nepal Petroleum Transporters’ Federation has today demanded resumption of all their 60 tankers on the Raxaul-Kathmandu route — the new route decided by the NOC.
“NOC did not let those 60 tankers to load oil from Raxaul depot today and the federation that has changed the route according to NOC’s earlier decision,” general secretary of the association Bishwa Aryal said, blaming the corporation.
It might take two to three more days to settle the problem as they will hold talks tomorrow, he added.
Nepal Oil Corporation officials said that the oil shortage in the Kathmandu valley will deepen due to today’s decision of the association. “Though the Indian Oil Corporation had responded positively on Tuesday to a request to resume supplies, scarcity in Kathmandu could lengthen for some more days, Kafle said.
Earlier, Nepal Oil Corporation had requested Indian Oil Corporation – its sole petroleum products supplier – to supply petroleum products on credit till the end of June. The NOC had reduced around 30 per cent of its import from Indian Oil Corporation since last couples of week as it could not pay the dues.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has verbally requested the Finance Ministry to release Rs 1.5 billion loan for the NOC for the smooth supply of petroleum products at the earliest, according to spokesperson Ganesh Prasad Dhakal.
“But Finance Ministry is yet to take decision,” he said, adding that NOC cannot supply petroleum products according to market demand, unless it can increase the import.
Source: THT
Its one after another transporter association that is creating fuel crisis in the Valley.
No sooner Central-Region Tanker Transporters’ Association ended its strike, Nepal Petroleum Transporters’ Federation announced strike from today that is going to create fuel shortage for some more days. The Valleyiets have been facing the fuel crisis since last week and “the decision of yet another association is going to hit the consumers’ life hard,” deputy managing director at Nepal Oil Corporation Bachchu Kumar Kafle said.
Import of petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been disrupted forcing the valley petroleum pumps to close down, he said, adding the state-oil monopoly could not load petroleum products from Raxaul depot of Indian Oil Corporation today due to strike of tankers’ association.
Earlier, protesting the decision of Nepal Oil Corporation of transferring sixty tankers on Raxaul-Kathmandu route from Barauni-Amlekhgunj route, the Central-Region Tanker Transporters’ Association had started its strike from June 22 which had been lasted for three days.
The association had called off its strike on June 25 following a deal with the Nepal Oil Corporation. According to the agreement, state-oil monopoly had agreed to revoke its decision to buy 60 new tankers for carrying petroleum products from Raxaul to Kathmandu.
However, the agreement could not solve the dispute among transporters as Nepal Petroleum Transporters’ Federation has today demanded resumption of all their 60 tankers on the Raxaul-Kathmandu route — the new route decided by the NOC.
“NOC did not let those 60 tankers to load oil from Raxaul depot today and the federation that has changed the route according to NOC’s earlier decision,” general secretary of the association Bishwa Aryal said, blaming the corporation.
It might take two to three more days to settle the problem as they will hold talks tomorrow, he added.
Nepal Oil Corporation officials said that the oil shortage in the Kathmandu valley will deepen due to today’s decision of the association. “Though the Indian Oil Corporation had responded positively on Tuesday to a request to resume supplies, scarcity in Kathmandu could lengthen for some more days, Kafle said.
Earlier, Nepal Oil Corporation had requested Indian Oil Corporation – its sole petroleum products supplier – to supply petroleum products on credit till the end of June. The NOC had reduced around 30 per cent of its import from Indian Oil Corporation since last couples of week as it could not pay the dues.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has verbally requested the Finance Ministry to release Rs 1.5 billion loan for the NOC for the smooth supply of petroleum products at the earliest, according to spokesperson Ganesh Prasad Dhakal.
“But Finance Ministry is yet to take decision,” he said, adding that NOC cannot supply petroleum products according to market demand, unless it can increase the import.
Source: THT
