Kathmandu, September 9
Consumers in Kathmandu Valley are being forced to pay up to Rs 3,000 for a cooking gas cylinder amid continuing shortages and disruptions to supply routes.
The government-fixed price of an LPG cylinder is Rs 2,165, but consumers say some dealers are charging Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000. The shortage has worsened after landslides damaged the Prithvi Highway at Krishnabhir, disrupting the main supply route into the Valley following floods in Rasuwa.
To maintain supplies, LPG cylinders from industries in Kathmandu, Dhading and Kavrepalanchok are being transported through alternative routes to plants in Bara, Parsa, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Dhanusha and Mahottari for refilling before being brought back to the Valley.
LPG dealers say higher transport costs have pushed up their expenses. Gahas Bikreta Mahasangh Nepal First Vice-President Gehendra Prasad Rijal said dealers have had to travel to the Tarai themselves because industries have been unable to supply them.
He said transport costs can add Rs 325–450 per cylinder depending on the vehicle used. However, he acknowledged that charging Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,000 per cylinder was unjustified.
The Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection Department said it has received complaints of dealers charging above the prescribed price and has deployed two teams specifically to monitor LPG sales.
According to the department, some consumers have reported being charged Rs 2,600 or more, but enforcement has been difficult when complaints are submitted without the dealer’s name, address or other identifying details.
Demand in Kathmandu Valley is estimated at more than 100,000 cylinders a day, while current supply is reportedly below 20 percent of demand. Police data show around 169,530 cylinders entered the Valley through Nagdhunga between August 31 and Tuesday.
Consumers, meanwhile, say the shortage has left them with little choice but to pay inflated prices to keep their kitchens running.
