Consumers Face Gas Shortage Amidst Dashain Festival
Summary
Consumers in Kathmandu Valley are facing severe gas shortages just as Dashain begins, with long queues forming outside depots for tokens and cylinders. The crisis has triggered anger over black marketeering, artificial scarcity, and the government’s failure to ease supply.
Key Points
- Long queues for cooking gas have returned in Kathmandu Valley ahead of Dashain, leaving consumers frustrated and hungry.
- The shortage persists even after a new government took office and Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Minister Deepak Kumar Shah assumed charge.
- Consumers say they are being forced to wait for tokens instead of gas cylinders, with many unable to cook proper festival meals.
- Nepal Oil Corporation and the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association say imports from India are continuing smoothly despite the public shortage.
