Pathlaiya, May 20 :

The petrol pumps in Bara district are openly selling petroleum products at exorbitant prices and lack of monitoring has worsened the situation.

Some petrol pumps in Amlekhgunj and Simara are selling diesel at Rs 70 to 85 a litre.

The local transport entrepreneurs said they are forced to pay Rs 80 for a litre of diesel.

“The petrol pumps owners say we may not buy if we don’t agree over the price, so we have no other choice but to pay high price for the fuel,” an entrepreneur said adding that the lack of proper monitoring of the petro-dealers is adding fuel to the problem.

Petrol pump owners, however, try to justify their move saying they had to work hard to receive petroleum products from the Nepal Oil Corporation depot in Amlekhgunj.

They say they also have to bribe officials there to get petroleum for sale.

One Basanta Khatiwada of Pathlaiya said he had been paying Rs 100 a liter for petrol he bought from a nearby pump.

Head of the NOC Amlekhgunj sales depot could not be contacted for comments. Recently, the government had announced plan to introduce dual price for petroleum products and that there would be no immediate price hike in petroleum products