NOC stops petroleum supply for four days

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has stopped the supply of petroleum products for four days beginning Friday.

NOC officials said the supply has been halted due to Dashain holidays, and informed that the supply would resume from Oct 23. They claimed that the NOC has imported sufficient quantity of petroleum from India to keep normal the supply system after Dashain.

The NOC's decision to stop distribution comes at a time when most of the gas stations in Kathmandu are running out of petrol and diesel. On Thursday, serpentine queues of vehicles could be seen at the gas stations of Nepal Police, the army and Sajha.

NOC's depot at Thankot had distributed 1.32-kl petrol, 1.18-kl diesel and 1.8-kl kerosene on Thursday. Officials said 3000-kl oil has been imported from India over the last couple of days.

Supply of petroleum in the country has been erratic since last few months after the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sharply reduced supply citing the NOC’s failure to clear the dues.

The monthly loss of NOC, which is the sole supplier of petroleum in Nepal, has reached Rs 380 million by now. The Corporation has been demanding that the government either end subsidy on petroleum products or allow it to adjust the prices to balance the losses. nepalnews.com mk Oct 19 07