Ministry, NOC conceal LPG supply data

KATHMANDU, MAy 18: 

Consumer rights activists have said that Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies are deliberately concealing the import and supply data of cooking gas. 

Nepal Oil Corporation issues Product Delivery Order (PDO) for the import of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Indian Oil Corporation, said consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan. 

“But, NOC does not provide the data of imports made by concerned bottling plants and hides the record of the issuance of PDO to bottling plants,” he said, adding that the unwillingness of NOC to show data clarifies that it has been deliberately turning a deaf ear to the mounting problem of black marketing.

It can tally the import quantity and supply amount of concerned bottling plants if it suspects any irregularities, he claimed. “NOC will not do that because its commission will decrease if it reveals the actual bottling plant-wise data of import and supply.”

Now, the corporation and the ministry have started another episode of pretending of doing something good in the name of consumer card distribution, he said. “It is ridiculous that NOC could not implement the double-colour cylinders even though it had expressed its commitment to complete it three months back.”

How can the corporation implement the consumer card effectively at a time when it has been failing to introduce separate colour cylinders for domestic and industrial purposes, he questioned. 

The consumer card distribution is nothing more than accepting dealers’ cartel and syndicate system, he said. 

Meanwhile, only 512 dealers started distributing LPG consumer cards from yesterday, according to general secretary of Gas Dealers’ Association of Nepal Maheshwor Prasad Shrestha. 

512 dealers have taken 25,000 cards for the purpose of distributing the cards to consumers, he said, adding that the verification of the remaining dealers is still going on. 

The verified dealers have taken 300 to 1,000 cards for distribution, he informed. Dealers will mention the name of the consumer along with the brand of gas being used by him/her in the card. 

A total of 2,000 dealers have approached the association for verification, he said. “Gas bottling plants have yet to verify more than 1,500 dealers.”

Some 2,500 dealers had taken forms to verify their dealers, he said. “Of the total number of forms distributed, 2,000 dealers have already filled and submitted forms.”

Similarly, Nepal LP Gas Industries Association and concerned bottling plants have also taken the forms. “The card distribution will be further accelerated once the dealer verification process is completed by NOC and the bottling plants,” he said.

Source: THT