Kathmandu, January 6
Of late, cooking gas bullets are entering the country through all customs down south, save Birgunj. Bottling plants are busy filling gas cylinders.In the last 20 days, 3000 MT cooking gas has entered Nepal, if Nepal Oil Corporation’s records are anything to go by. Two days ago, 30 gas bullets entered Nepal via Bhairahawa. While yesterday, 10 bullets entered Nepal through different customs. These figures indicate that around 200 gas bullets have entered Nepal in course of a month.
One bullet contains 18 MT of cooking gas and can half-fill 2,500 cylinders. Going by this, 200 bullets can fill around five lakh cylinders. In course of a month, the country has got gas that is enough for around five lakh customers. The supply of gas has not made any difference to the people, most of whom have been waiting for gas in serpentine queues.
In the last 20 days, 3000 MT cooking gas has entered Nepal, if Nepal Oil Corporation’s records are anything to go by.
As per records at Nagdhunga police checkpost, 10,000 cylinders are entering Kathmandu daily. On some days, 17,000 cylinders enter Kathmandu through this point, according to sub-inspector Guna Nidhi Khakurel. On an average day, three gas bullets enter Kathmandu through this p0int. On Tuesday alone, seven bullets entered Kathmandu.
This means, on an average day, 17,000 gas cylinders enter Kathmandu. But the customers do not get them, for they vanish mysteriously.
Mukunda Ghimire, spokesperson for the Nepal Oil Corporation, claims distributors are distributing gas by issuing coupons. Despite Ghimire’s claims, a huge number of customers are not getting gas. Only a handful of black marketers, elites and those with friends in higher places are getting gas, customers say.
Availability of cooking gas in the market at hefty prices shows that customers charges are not baseless.
