KESHAV ADHIKARI

DHADING: In the wake of shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas across the country, authorities in Dhading have intensified monitoring of LPG refilling plants along the highway.

Acting on complaints that the shortage was artificially created by entrepreneurs, the District Market Monitoring Committee inspected five LPG plants from Gajuri to Majhitar along the highway today.

Gita Gas Industry in Gajuri, Shree Krishna Gas Industry in Benighat, Tara Gas Industry in Dhusha and Tribeni Gas Industry in Jogimara were monitored today.

Assistant Chief District Officer Nandalal Sharma, who is also the coordinator of District Market Monitoring Committee, after the inspection of gas industries, said none of the gas industries were found involved in irregularities and that nothing suspicious was found.

“We checked each plant meticulously and found out they’ve been supplying the commodity to the market as usual,” said Sharma. The monitoring team comprised police Inspector Hemant Bhandari Chhetri, District Administration Official Hariram Neupane, representatives of consumer rights forums and mediapersons. The team earlier on Wednesday had monitored other eight LPG bottling plants from Baireni to Khanikhola.

Although Dhading itself houses 13 LPG plants, the district is reeling under acute shortage of cooking gas.

“The district has a dozen LPG plants but it’s an irony that the residents are facing the shortage,” said Bed Bahadur Khand, chairman, Consumer Welfare Protection Forum, Dhading. “Of the 13 plants, only Shree Krishna Gas Industry supplies LPG to the district headquarters,” Khand said, adding, “It too has reduced supplies to the district of late.”

Shree Krishna Gas Industry manager Rishi Bisural, on his part, however, said supply was as usual. He argued that the consumers’ tendency to hoard more than one cylinder ‘to cope with the possible shortage’ could be the main reason behind the shortage.