Kathmandu, January 7:

Claiming that the government has failed to fulfil the 17-point agreement they had reached and that the supply of petroleum is still not smooth, the Petroleum Dealers’ Association of Nepal (PDAN) today threatened to stage a strike.

Even after 15 days of the agreement with the government, nothing has been done to provide adequate petroleum to consumers, Shiva Prasad Ghimire, president of PDAN, said.

“Supply of petrol has been smooth after the recent price hike, but the case is not the same for diesel, kerosene and cooking gas. Diesel and kerosene import is 60 per cent less than the market demand and LPG import is 40 per cent short of demand,” claimed Ghimire.

Petroleum dealers will be forced to go on a strike if the 17-point agreement is not implemented by the end of the time frame mentioned in the agreement, he said.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Shyam Sundar Gupta said the government was trying hard to arrange money to ensure import of petroleum products to meet the market demand.

“Within five to seven days, we will be issuing bonds worth Rs three billion to pay off the Nepal Oil Corporation’s debts to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC),” he said.