Chitwan Administration Facilitates Home Delivery of LPG Cylinders to 802 Consumers, Steps Up Market Monitoring
Dragon Media Correspondent
The District Administration Office in Chitwan has facilitated the delivery of cooking gas cylinders to the homes of 802 consumers who reported shortages.
Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal said priority was given to people who are helpless, physically weak, persons with disabilities, chronically ill patients, postpartum women, single women, senior citizens and students. The assistance was provided to consumers who had registered complaints about LPG shortages through the administration’s toll-free number over the past week.
Cylinders were delivered across Bharatpur as well as eastern and western Chitwan. The administration also arranged direct delivery to care centres and shelters facing shortages.
Following complaints that LPG was reaching industries and depots but was not being distributed smoothly to consumers, the local administration has begun monitoring the supply chain from gas industries to retail outlets.
A monitoring team led by Assistant Chief District Officer Chudamani Sharma Gautam, accompanied by police personnel, has been deployed in the market. Aryal said the administration decided to inspect the distribution system because consumers were still being forced to wait in long queues despite claims by industries that sufficient gas had been supplied.
Chitwan requires an estimated 120,000 LPG cylinders per month. Although around 6,000 to 7,000 cylinders are currently being distributed daily, supply conditions have remained difficult, according to the administration.
Sai Baba, Baba and Nepal Gas industries are currently operating in the district. These companies regularly supply cylinders to local dealers while also distributing LPG to other districts.
Bimal Kalakheti, operator of Baba Gas Industry, said roughly half of the filled cylinders are supplied within Chitwan and the remaining half to other districts.
Industry representatives said supply has been affected after problems emerged at the Durgapur refinery in India, where LPG tankers had previously been filled. Tankers are now being sent to Paradip instead.
According to Kalakheti, reaching Durgapur takes about two days, while the journey to Paradip takes around four days, slowing the supply cycle. He added that reduced supplies from the Barauni refinery and increased demand have further contributed to the shortage.
Industry operators have suggested that the problem could be eased temporarily either by supplying half-filled cylinders or by increasing the quota available from Barauni.
The administration has also urged consumers to exchange cylinders only when necessary and avoid unnecessary stockpiling so that supplies can return to normal more quickly.
