Dadeldhura, February 26

Black-marketing of petroleum products has hit transport entrepreneurs far-western region hard.

Although the Nepal Oil Corporation has been providing fuel as per need, black-marketing at fuel stations has dealt a huge blow to local transport entrepreneurs.

Dhangadhi-based NOC office had sent 24,000 litres of diesel and 6,000 litres of petrol to two local fuel stations on Wednesday. However, transport entrepreneurs were irked after the pumps said they had run out of stock the same day.

“More than 100 small and big vehicles ply in the district everyday for which we need 3,000 litres of diesel.

The dearth of diesel has hugely affected our business,” said Santosh Khadka, chairman of Ugratara Transport Committee. Buses belonging to the transport committee ply mostly in the hill districts of the far west.

As per the transport entrepreneurs, 24,000 litres diesel imported to Dadeldhura was enough for the vehicles plying in the district. They added that they were paying up to Rs 120 per litre of diesel against the market price of Rs 76.

Pradip Pant of Dadeldhura Public Transport said the transport entrepreneurs were forced to buy diesel at double the market rate. “If we do not operate the vehicles, we cannot repay our loan. So, we have no choice but to buy fuel on the black market,” Pant added.

Dadeldhura CDO Prem Prasad Luitel pledged to punish petrol pump proprietors if found guilty of black marketing.

He said traffic police personnel were deployed at all fuel stations to manage fuel distribution.