Work underway on 'critical path' to ease gas supply: Industry Minister Sah
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Deepak Kumar Sah said that both immediate and long-term plans have been advanced to address LPG shortages, petroleum price hikes, and abnormal price control of daily consumables. Responding to lawmakers' questions in the National Assembly, he informed that a 'fishbone diagram' was used to identify the causes of the gas shortage.
Kathmandu. Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Deepak Kumar Sah has said that immediate and long-term plans have been advanced to address the shortage of LP gas, the rise in petroleum product prices, and the abnormal price control of daily consumables.
Responding to lawmakers' questions in the National Assembly, Minister Sah informed that a 'fishbone diagram' was used to identify the causes of the gas shortage. He said the main causes were found to be import dependency, international prices, storage and refilling, unequal distribution, delays in returning empty cylinders, black marketing, and lack of inter-agency coordination.
'The government is very serious about the hardship that ordinary citizens have been facing due to the shortage of LP gas cylinders. The government is continuously working to resolve problems including gas,' he said. 'To identify the problem, the ministry has brought into use a fishbone diagram, a tool for technical analysis.'
He said that since the road supply process via Krishnabhir is on the 'critical path', work has been advanced in coordination with the Department of Roads, and facilitation has also been made in customs and transport management.
Minister Sah informed that 857,821 cylinders of gas were imported in Bhadra, which is 25.56 percent more than the previous year. He said there is currently no shortage of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel.
He said that in the long term, infrastructure construction will be advanced for the expansion of the petroleum pipeline to Lothar in Chitwan, construction of a greenfield terminal, expansion of storage capacity, petroleum storage in Karnali, and LP gas storage in Sarlahi.
Minister Sah informed that instructions have been given to maintain the maximum price of sugar at Rs 110, traders have been instructed to reduce the prices of daily consumables including rice by 10 to 15 percent, and 25,000 metric tons of sugar have been imported from India. He said the process of adding technical manpower to make market monitoring effective has been advanced, and the government is positive about expanding consumer courts.