Kathmandu, October 8
Consumers in Kathmandu Valley will be able to exchange empty LPG cylinders of one brand for filled cylinders of another brand without paying any additional fee during the festive season.
Gas industry operators are preparing the arrangement to ensure consumers do not face shortages simply because they own a cylinder of a particular brand.
The arrangement is being coordinated among the Nepal Oil Corporation, LPG gas companies, dealers and security agencies, particularly ahead of Dashain.
NOC Executive Director Nagendra Sah said the corporation itself had asked gas companies to introduce the system to make it easier for consumers to obtain LPG.
“If someone has only one cylinder and is having difficulty getting gas because it belongs to a different company, even when gas is available in the market, we asked the gas companies to make arrangements to provide relief to the public,” Sah told Onlinekhabar.
He said consumers would not have to pay any additional charge for exchanging cylinders.
In the past, there had been complaints that dealers charged consumers up to Rs 300 when exchanging cylinders belonging to different companies.
“That will not happen now. The arrangement will be completely free of charge,” Sah said.
Joint sales counters planned
Shiva Prasad Ghimire, a former president of the Nepal LPG Gas Industry Association and a gas entrepreneur, said the industry is planning to operate joint sales counters at around 15 to 20 major locations across Kathmandu Valley.
“We will exchange cylinders internally between the companies. For a limited period, we want to ensure that people do not have to return empty-handed simply because they cannot find gas. They should be able to exchange whatever cylinder they have,” Ghimire said.
He said discussions were underway to operate such counters in places including the Nepal Army headquarters area, Chhauni and Sitapaila, in coordination with gas companies, NOC, the Federation of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs and security agencies.
Gas companies will later manage the empty cylinders collected from different brands among themselves.
Service limited to genuine consumers
Ghimire said the facility is intended only for consumers facing difficulties obtaining gas, rather than dealers or other businesses.
To prevent misuse, consumers will have to provide identification details at the counters before receiving gas.
“We will not provide this facility to dealers or businesses. We will provide gas only after keeping a copy of the consumer’s citizenship certificate or another form of identification and their mobile number,” Ghimire said.
He said the system would also allow government agencies to monitor the distribution and ensure the facility reaches consumers genuinely affected by shortages.
NOC prefers exchange through regular dealers
The Nepal Oil Corporation said it would issue a formal notice within a day or two once the participating locations are finalised.
Sah said it would be even more convenient for consumers if cylinders could be exchanged across brands directly through regular dealers instead of requiring them to visit designated joint counters.
The exact locations where consumers will be able to exchange cylinders have not yet been finalised. Gas companies are discussing the arrangements internally and are expected to announce the details within the next one or two days.
LPG consumption in Kathmandu Valley typically falls by around 40 percent during Dashain as millions of people leave the Valley.
However, officials expect the cross-brand exchange arrangement to provide relief to consumers who remain in the Valley, particularly those with only one cylinder who otherwise have to visit multiple shops when their gas runs out.
