Beshishahar, July 31

Despite Nepal Oil Corporation being the sole authorised trader of petroleum products in the country, small traders like grocers and fruit shop owners have also been selling such products illegally in Lamjung.

Illegal trading of petroleum products has been increasing in the district due to apathy on the part of the concerned authorities.

According to sources, more than four dozengrocery shops, fancy stores, vegetable shops, pubs, among others, are foundselling petrol in mineral water bottles.

Paudibazaar, Sundarbazaar, Khatrithati, Siudibar, Bhoteodar, Udipur, Bhakunde, Ranikuwa, Beshishahar, Khudi Bhulbhule, along with other rural areas also sell petrol in retail in the district.

The district has only two petrol pumps namely Bhoteodar and Jaya Bhadrakali Oil Stores. Lack of easy access to petrol has led the local folks to buy the fuel that is sold in retail.

Locals complained that traders were cheating the consumers by selling petrol adulterated with kerosene. They attributed the situation to lack of proper monitoring and said they were compelled to pay up to Rs 120 per litre, against the fixed price of Rs 109.50.

Arun Kanta Ghimire, operator of Jayabhadrakali Oil Stores, said that it would be difficult for legally operating petrol pumps to survive if such growing black marketing continued.

He also complained that the administration had remained silent despite their frequent appeals in this regard.

District Monitoring Coordinator and Assistant CDO Tirtha Bahadur Adhikari accepted that they had failed to conduct effective monitoring despite the soaring illegal trading but assured to conduct one soon.