Ministry is working to address cooking gas supply gap: Industry minister

KATHMANDU: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Gauri Kumari Yadav told lawmakers on Friday that her ministry is working to address the growing gap between demand and supply of cooking gas.

Responding to questions in the House of Representatives, MinisterYadav said market monitoring has been intensified to prevent shortages of essential fuel and urged consumers not to hoard liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders. She said the shift from half to full cylinder distribution had contributed to the current supply‑demand imbalance.

There are 58 LPG industries currently operating with a combined storage capacity of 10,166 metric tonnes, Yadav said. She added that relevant agencies had been instructed to follow parliamentary committee directives and that Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is implementing technical measures to track LPG cylinders.

Diplomatic efforts are underway to secure an increased quota of LPG cylinders from India for three months to help manage rising demand. Yadav suggested that recording buyers’ information could help ensure fair distribution, particularly for senior citizens, people with disabilities and those with chronic health conditions.

By RSS