NOC hikes prices of petro-products; shortage continues

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hiked the price of kerosene and deisel each by Rs 3 per litre with immediate from Tuesday. An NOC board meeting held Monday evening decided to hike the prices to synchronise it with the international market.

After the revision deisel and kerosene both will cost Rs 58 per litre. Earlier, their cost was Rs 55 per litre. No changes have been made to the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel.

The price of the petroleum products has been hiked at a time when consumers in capital Kathmandu and the eastern region are facing an acute shortage of petroleum products. Valley denizens have not been able to purchase petrol and deisel as most of the private petrol pumps have shut down.

The private petrol pumps shut down after NOC stopped giving them supply from Sunday. Petroleum supply in Kathmandu had been disrupted by the government employees agitation in Birgunj and the fire in Jaipur depo of Indian Oil corporation.

Last week Birgunj Custom Office was closed along with other government offices in the district for five days in protest of a state minister's attack on the Chief District Officer. Likewise, the supply had also decreased as NOC and IOC both had been adopting extra precautionary measures after the fire in Jaipur oil depo.

Although, the supplies have resumed following the end of the strike consumers in Kathmandu are still not getting the petroleum products easily. Consumers are forced to stand for hours in front of the petrol pumps operated by Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Sajha Cooperatives as they are the only petroleum supply centres open in the valley.

Many suspect, petroleum dealers could have hidden their stock to sell at a higher price taking advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, supplies in the eastern region has been stopped not because of the shortage but due to the agitation of workers of petrol pumps. Petrol pump workers have resorted to an all out strike putting forth various demands since over a week now.

Last year in August and September too Nepali consumers had faced an acute shortage of petroleum products.