By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 22: LP Gas Industry Association has introduced a system to keep record of gas buyers with a view to discourage unnecessary stock of cooking gas by the consumers.
“We have directed all gas dealers to keep the record of consumers who purchase gas from their outlets from today. We have taken this initiative after large numbers of consumers failed to get cooking gas even though supply has been increased in the market,” said Gokul Bhandari, president of the Association.
Many people are not getting the cooking gas as the distributors and dealers have not supplied the essential material regularly.
According to him, gas bottling plants have been supplying gas to the dealers regularly but many consumers complained that they were not getting the gas from the dealers.
“This recording system will help control the flow of those consumers who are motivated to stock gas cylinders and provide a chance to the needy people to receive the gas,” he said.
More than 32,000 tonnes of gas was imported from Indian Oil Corporation in the last three weeks, but the market is still facing shortages, he said.
According to him, the dealers should submit the report of gas distribution with the consumer’s name and contact number and present stock to the concerned gas industry on a daily basis.
President of Gas Dealers’ Association Nepal, Maheshwor Shrestha said that the record system would not be effective to control the hoarding system by the rich people as different members of a family would come to collect the gas.
“The government should introduce card system for a family to make gas distribution system effective in the country even at times of crisis,” he said.
He said that the association has suggested the gas dealers to maintain distribution records as per the direction of NOC and the gas industry association to ease the supply.
The consumers would face such problem time and again until and unless a system is put in place adopting a long-term perspective.