LPG shortage to end soon

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KATHMANDU, Dec 18 – The ongoing mild shortage of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), particularly in the valley, is likely to end soon as the Barauni Station in India, which supplies 95 per cent of the national LPG demand, resumed it normal function from today.

LPG consumers started facing a mild shortage of the gas after the Barauni Station stopped releasing the gas since last week for a thorough regular maintenance of the station. "Since last two weeks, we have been receiving very little LPG supplies from Barauni due to the ongoing maintenance works," said Ajit Kumar Jha, Chief Engineer of the Nepal Gas Limited.

However, he also informed that the Barauni Gas Station started releasing LPG gas from today. "Barauni gas station today released 33 tons to the Nepal Gas Limited while Baba Gas and Koshi Gas Industries each received 36 tons." added Jha.

He also informed that the gas refueling companies have also sent their tankers to the Haldia Gas Station, but due to the long distance, it would take at least 4 days to realize the actual supplies.

Due to the interruption in the supplies of LPG form India, the stock with the local has gone down rapidly. "Immediately after we started receiving less supplies, we rationed our local market supplies and all the companies are releasing just 25 per cent of the demand, due to which gas market is running through shortage," he said.

The demand of LPG, which has become a popular cooking fuel particularly among the middle and upper classes, has been maintaining steady surge since last couple of years. During the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the consumption of LPG witnessed an increment of more than 13 per cent and touched 10,851 tons from 9,575 tons of last year. The national monthly demand of LPG stands currently at around 3500 tons.

‘Nepal still a safe place’

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KATHMANDU, Dec 18 – Kedar B Mathema, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Japan has said that the declaration of emergency in Nepal has resulted in improved security situation in the country and added that many tourists recently visiting Nepal have expressed satisfaction over the law and order of the country.

Speaking at a program organized by the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Tokyo today, Ambassador Mathema stressed that Nepal is one of the safest places for foreign visitors in South Asia, states a press release received here today.

He also requested the participants of the program to cooperate in disseminating the fact to the potential Japanese tourists and encourage them to visit Nepal.

Participants at the program expressed their satisfaction about the security situation of Nepal and opined that such kings of interaction should be organised regularly both in Nepal and Japan to promote visitors’ confidence.

MoICS works reviewed

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KATHMANDU, Dec 18 - A meeting to review the functioning of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) and the concerned departments and committees was held here today under the chairmanship of Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies,

According to a press release issued here today, the meet resolved to review the working of the ministry and the concerned departments twice each month by convening similar meets.

An understanding was reached at the meet to speed up the working of the concerned offices under the ministry in order to enhance the quality of services being provided by them.

Furthermore, the meet decided to keep track of the jobs that are being assigned to the concerned government employees or departments and to see if the assigned jobs are being completed on time, says the release.

The meet also decided to enforce strict codes so as to clearly demarcate the responsibility and authority of officials with an aim to do away with unnecessary delays and dilly-dallying. So much so that officials would from now on need to give written explanation on the causes of delay in work, if any.

The ministry recently had published a notice stating that any services of the government employees and offices sought by the general public would be completed within two hours.

The meet today even formed a committee to oversee if the ministry and the concerned departments are working as per the formerly issued directives. The meet also established various hotline telephone numbers to solicit the complains of the general mass.

Assistant minister Prakash Bahadur Gurung, Secretary Bhanu Prasad Acharya and various departmental heads attended the meeting. Meanwhile, another release issued by the ministry states that the sixty second meet of the Carpet and Wool Development Board was held today under the chairmanship of minister Khadka.

According to the release, the meet deliberated upon the ways and means by which the current slump in carpet exports overseas can be contained and its market in the international arena expanded.