Yet another panel to study dual cylinder system
KATHMANDU, OCT 09 -
The government has formed yet another committee to study the dual liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG ) cylinder system, which it plans to enforce from October 17.
The four-member committee led by Shambu Regmi, under-secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), has been asked to submit a report on the working procedure for dual- LPG cylinder system by October 14. The committee was formed on October 2 as per the ministry’s directive. Gyaneshore Aryal, president of Gas Dealers Federation Nepal (GDFN), and Kush Prasad Mally, general secretary of Nepal LPG Industry Association (N LPG IA), are the members of the committee. Nagendra Sah of Nepal Oil Corporation’s legal division is the member-secretary of the panel.
The government, which had previously planned to enforce the system from August 17, shelved the plan after strong protests from LPG bottlers. Subsequently on August 16, a seven-member taskforce led by Nuta Raj Pokhrel, under-secretary of the MoCS, was formed to study the provision for introducing colour-coded cylinder s (red for general consumers and blue for commercial users).
The new committee will give continuity to the study carried out by Pokhrel-led committee. “The new committee will submit its report within this week and the system will be executed from October 17 as per the working procedure and the recommendation made by the committee,” said Deepak Subedi, spokesperson for the ministry.
NOC has twice issued public notice to LPG bottlers to introduce two-coloured cylinder s.
According to Aryal, the government decided to form the new committee after traders suggested that if the provision was enforced in haste without proper study, it would encourage malpractices in the distribution system.
By enforcing the dual cylinder system, the government seeks to address the public grievance over price disparity. Under the plan, the government will also enforce LPG card system that will ensure household consumers get LPG at subsidised rate, while commercial users will be charged the actual market price.
“We will finish the distribution of LPG cards within 15-20 days,” said Aryal, adding the committee will also study the subsidy modality to ensure that malpractice do not appear in the distribution system.
Last week, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had urged LPG traders to support the government’s move to introduce the dual cylinder system.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
