Nepal resumes regular fuel distribution to public after 5 months of crisis

After nearly five months of economic blockade and fuel crisis, the Nepal government has started regular distribution of petroleum products to the public from Friday.

A meeting chaired by Commerce and Supplies Ministry on Thursday scrapped the quota system for fuel distribution following an increase in import of petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation.

The government imposed the quota system in September last year after supplies of fuel and basic essentials were blocked due to protests of ethnic Madhes- based parties against the new constitution.

According to state-owned oil monopoly Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), fuel will be distributed to the public on a regular basis from 114 fuel stations in the Kathmandu valley.

However, in the initial phase, NOC has decided to provide only five liters of petrol to two-wheelers and 15 liters to four-wheelers at a time.

The development came with the reopening of Raxaul-Birgunj trade route last Friday. Raxaul-Birgunj was blocked for more than 130 days.

As per NOC, daily consumption of petrol and diesel across the country stands at around 1.1 million liters and 2.6 million liters respectively.

Though Indian Oil Corporation has increased the supply of liquefied petroleum gas, NOC has yet to decide on resumption of regular distribution of cooking gas cylinders to public.

The country's monthly demand of LPG hovers at around 30,000 tones. Endit