Surkhet Consumers Face Gas Shortage Amid High Demand

Surkhet. Consumers in Surkhet are increasingly worried about how to light their stoves due to a shortage of cooking gas. Although gases like Bheri, Rapti, Manakamana, and Radiant are supplied to Surkhet, consumers are now facing a situation where they cannot easily obtain gas even after standing in line.

Local consumer Sharmila Budha expressed her distress, stating that she could not get gas even after queuing since 2:00 AM for four consecutive days. "Even after queuing since 2:00 AM to get gas, I couldn't get it," Budha said, lamenting, "Only those with connections and power seem to get gas here."

She further lamented that retailers are selling cylinders for up to Rs 2,400, even though the price per cylinder is Rs 2,060, and it is difficult to get gas even at that price.

Following comments and criticism from the administration and concerned bodies regarding the gas shortage, a team led by Assistant Chief District Officer Dil Bahadur Karki of the District Administration Office, Surkhet, along with the Nepal Oil Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Consumer Interest Forum, political activists, and journalists, conducted an inspection of companies and dealers, including Bheri Gas, to ascertain the reality of the shortage.

During the inspection, Assistant Chief District Officer Karki informed that the shortage was found to be due to high demand for gas in the market and very low supply. He said, "Although various gases are used here, currently only Bheri Gas is distributing to consumers. Today, 1,100 have arrived, and tomorrow 1,800 gas cylinders are expected. We will create an environment where consumers can easily obtain gas without any duplication, under the supervision of the police administration."

He also stated that the distribution process has not been systematized due to the lack of a definite statistic on how many cylinders are actually required by consumers in Surkhet. Assistant Chief District Officer Karki mentioned that retailers in Surkhet, including RC Suppliers, who purchase gas from the company for Rs 2,060 and sell it to consumers for Rs 2,400, have been made to refund Rs 400 to the consumers.