LPG entrepreneurs withdraw agitation; signs 9-pt deal with govt

KATHMANDU, Aug 15: Finally, LP gas entrepreneurs have been compelled to sign a nine- point agreement with the government after the later was not ready to address their demands for syndicate and carteling system in gas at any cost.



Director General at Department of Commerce, Narayan Prasad Bidari, said that an agreement was signed at a meeting held on Tuesday late night, after the government pledged to form a technical team to carry out a study on profit and commission and making two separate colours—blue and red- of gas cylinders.[break]



Bidari said that a seven-member technical team under the coordination of Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, Nutanraj Pokhrel, will be formed.



There will be representatives of ministries of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management, Finance and Law and Justice, engineers and two gas entrepreneurs in the team.



It is said that the team will prepare a report after carrying out an extensive study about making separate colours of gas cylinders and carrying out a study on profit and commission within 15 days.



The agreement was signed as gas entrepreneurs were ready to move ahead by making an agreement on other demands after the government warned of taking strong action against them saying the demands of syndicate and carteling in gas raised by them are unrealistic.



Earlier, gas entrepreneurs had announced stopping the supply of LP gas from today if their demands were not addressed. But the government had warned of taking an action against them on the charge of affecting distribution of essential goods, if they did not give up the unrealistic demands.



Chairman of the Gas Industry Association, Shiba Ghimire said all agitation programs are withdrawn from today after a consensus was forged on the demands raised by gas entrepreneurs including permission from the LPG Industry Association Nepal should be mandatory to open new gas industries, mandatory recommendation of the association to fix the quota of gas and PDO in LPG.



It is said that the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies is to request the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Ministry of Law to implement Essential Service Act-2014 for avoiding a halt of the delivery of essential services on wards.

Related story

Student entrepreneurs represent Nepal in Canada