Himalayan News Service

Tanahun, March 14:

The Maoist-imposed sanction has created shortage of petroleum products in the district.

Kerosene, diesel and petrol at petrol pumps in Damauli have run out of stock and the tankers which were to fetch the fossil fuels from Birgunj have been stranded at Abukhaireni.

Many people have been forced to dump their vehicles in the garages and the students who are in the district headquarters for their SLC examination have been compelled to stay hungry because of lack of the cooking fuel.

Sangita Ghimire of Tanahun Oil Distributor said that everyday some 100 students come to buy kerosene. "There is a monthly demand of some 70,000 litres of kerosene in the district but the demand has never been met," Ghimire said. She added that the 6000 litres of kerosene which she is given every month for sale is finished within hours.

Similarly, Som Bahadur Majhi of Joshi Oil Distributors said that this time the shortage of the fuel is real whereas an artificial shortage was seen some seven or eight months ago.

Students pay as much as Rs 50 for a meal at the district headquarters, these days.

Tanahun CDO Govinda Mani Bhurtel said that the requests made by the administration office to the Nepal Oil Corporation central office to supply adequate fuel has gone unnoticed.