Biratnagar, October 31:

Motorcycle dealers in the eastern region closed their businesses for a day to protest adulteration of petroleum products.

The dealers were accusing the Nepal Oil Corporation of resorting to fuel adulteration. They urged motorcyclists to refuel their vehicles with adulterated petrol.

“Some 600 motorbikes of different brands, which were sold last month, have been facing the same problem. Adulterated petrol has caused their engines to cease,” said Karan Shrestha, owner of the PR Traders. He alleged the NOC and Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ Association of trying to mislead consumers by claiming that petroleum products were free from adulteration.

“The NOC and the NPDA recently said motorcycle engines had ceased not because of adulterated petrol, but because of faults in the engines. This has hurt the sentiments of motorbike dealers,” he added.

The dealers said today that they had stopped issuing warranty on the sale of motorbikes. They said warranty will not be issued unless the NOC pledges to sell unadulterated petrol.

“Only engines of motorcycles sold in Nepal in the last one month are malfunctioning, while motorcycles in India do not have such problems. This shows that engines are malfunctioning here because of adulterated fuel,” 30 motorbike dealers in the east said in a statement.

The motorbike dealers have informed the district administration office, the NOC and the Department of Standard and Metrology about the problem.