Janakpur: Nepal Oil Corporation has begun direct import of petroleum products from Barauni in India to Janakpur, one of the major commercial hubs in the Tarai. With this arrangement, Janakpur and other neighbouring towns will not face the shortage of petroleum products even during bandhs and strikes along the East-West Highway. According to the agreement reached with Indian Oil Corporation, petroleum products will be imported from Barauni and stored in a depot based in Sakhua Mahendranagar in Dhanusha district. Raghunath Prasad Sah, former vice chairman of Nepal Petroleum Dealers' Association, who accompanied NOC's delegation to Barauni, said the import had already begun. Minister for Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato and NOC's executive director Digambar Jha made the direct import possible. The capacity of the depot at Sakhuwa will soon be increased to 7,800,000 litres, an NOC source said. The depot will facilitate the distribution of petroleum products in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Siraha, Sindhuli and other Tarai districts. Nobel Gas, an LPG bottling firm, will begin the direct import of LPG fom Barauni from the last week of this month. The NOC expects to ferry petroleum products to the capital via Sindhuli-Banepa route during bandhs and strikes on the East-West Highway. 'Tender proposal to extend the capacity of depot at Sakhuwa has already been invited,' Sah said. The new arrangement will also save time and transport fare, as the distance between Barauni and Sakhuwa is shorter by about 300 km as compared to the distance between Barauni and Sakhuwa via Amlekhgunj and Raxaul. 'This will make the price of fuel cheaper by at least Rs 2 per litre,' a petroleum dealer said. Dealers say the import from Janakpur-Jatahi route will be more feasible. But it will not be possible to immediately begin import from the route, as the Indian government doesn't have any customs office on the route.