Gorkha reels under gas shortage

GORKHA, Oct 1: The district headquarters of Gorkha have been reeling under acute shortage of LPG gas for a week now. Unable to use their gas stove because of the scarcity, many locals have started to look for the alternatives to LPG.

For the past three days, Dinesh Dani of Gorkha Municipality-3 has been relying on firewood for cooking. "I went looking for cooking cylinder everywhere in the market but couldn't find one. What choice do I have now other than depending on firewood?" he said.Some hotel entrepreneurs in the headquarters are also starting to rely on firewood for cooking. Many well-known names including Hotel Bisauni, Miracle, Crown, and Inn, among others, have been hit hard by the crisis.

"We have been using electric stove whenever there is power," said Sittal Kaji Maskey, operator of Hotel Miracle. Many consumers are relying on electric stove and firewood for cooking purpose.

Locals have started to complain that gas dealers were hiding LPG gases for black marketing. Following the complaints, District Monitoring Committee of District Administration Office has started monitoring the shops of LPG gas dealers.

Government officials monitored shops belonging to Man Kaji Shrestha and Saroj Pokharel in the headquarters on Wednesday. Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO) Deependra Poudel, however, said no gases were found hidden in those shops.

"We will continue monitoring the shops that deal in LPG gases, including those in rural areas," said Poudel. "The monitoring has been stepped up with the help of police," he added.

Markets of Aarughat, Palungtar, Bhachekk, and Chewetar, among others, have also been monitored by the administration, Poudel informed.

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