Kathmandu, March 6

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottlers have started collecting the purchase delivery orders (PDOs) of cooking gas from Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), following assurance that their concerns would be addressed.

As a part of their protest programme against the government’s unwillingness to address their demands, bottlers had stopped collecting PDOs from NOC beginning Friday, reducing the supply of LPG in the domestic market. PDOs are required to collect LPG from refineries of Indian Oil Corporation in India.

Beginning today, LPG bottlers have started collecting PDOs after NOC decided to form a committee to explore ways to address their concerns. The committee has been asked to recommend measures to resolve problems faced by LPG bottlers.

The committee, which comprises NOC officials, officials from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, LPG bottlers and distributors, has been given a 15-day deadline to submit a report.

“As NOC has assured us to address our concerns based on recommendations of the committee, we have postponed all our protest programmes,” informed Gokul Bhandari, president of the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association.

Primarily, LPG bottlers have asked NOC to revise the commission they are getting. Currently, NOC is providing commission of Rs 30.55 per cylinder to bottlers.

Bottlers have also asked the government to help them obtain necessary certificates from Indian authorities so that they can use their own gas bullets to transport cooking gas from India to Nepal. NOC Spokesperson Birendra Goit said NOC would address genuine concerns raised by LPG bottlers.