Kathmandu, Aug 9: Plainclothes police have been deployed at gas depots across the Kathmandu Valley following reports of black marketing and an artificially created shortage of cooking gas.
The operation is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. The Industry Ministry said it had received repeated complaints that traders were creating an artificial shortage despite no disruption in gas imports from India.
Industry Minister Gauri Yadav has taken the issue seriously, according to her secretariat. She requested Home Minister Sudan Gurung to deploy police for monitoring after receiving reports that consumers were being forced to pay higher prices despite adequate supplies.
Plainclothes police began monitoring gas depots across the Kathmandu Valley from Saturday morning. They have been instructed to take immediate action if they find dealers hiding gas cylinders, creating artificial shortages, selling above the fixed price or engaging in black marketing.
The Home Ministry said it may extend the operation to gas depots and sales centres in other districts if information gathered during the Kathmandu Valley monitoring indicates a wider problem. People’s News Monitoring Service
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