Kathmandu, June 7
Even after two months of the official launch of the distribution consumer cards for easing the supply of cooking gas, consumers have yet to get such cards.
Under this new system, the government has planned to distribute cooking gas at a subsidised rate.
The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) had officially started distributing the consumer cards by presenting one to Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in mid-April this year.
Maheshwor Shrestha, general secretary at the Gas Dealers’ Federation Nepal (GDFN), said that they have been collecting the forms with details of consumers through dealers.
Until now, the Federation has distributed application forms through more than 1,400 gas dealers, who were approved by the gas industries, he said.
According to him, they have distributed about 150,000 forms for red cards (household purpose) and around 50,000 for blue ones (for commercial purpose).
They are going to forward the cards to the NOC soon for approval and keeping database. NOC will return the cards to GDFN after creating a database of consumers, he said.
"Card distribution process is moving ahead at a snail’s pace. There is no certainty of the distribution of LPG cards because some bottling companies are disinterested in it," he said.
He, however, said that the consumers would get cards soon.
Talking about the advantages of the new system, he said that it will discourage unauthorised sales of gas cylinders. A dealer of one gas company will not be allowed to sell cylinders of others, he said.
Sushil Bhattarai, deputy director of NOC, has yet to receive card forms from the dealers.
He, however, said that the consumers will get cards from next week because the dealers are in the process of sending them to gas industries and NOC for approval.
"We have no any detail of gas dealers as well as consumers till date. So, the process has been delayed," he said.
The distribution of gas will be eased and also help the government provide relief to the target groups after implementing the card system, he said.
The government has planned to distribute the cards in the Kathmandu Valley in the first phase.
