The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the government to adopt all measures to ease the distribution of petroleum products.
A press statement issued today by the Under-Secretary of the Commission, Shyam Babu Kafle, asked the government to bring anyone found involved in creating artificial shortage under the ambit of law, to regulate the tendency of making unnecessary storage of such products as well as to protect consumers' right by making immediate arrangement of supply of essential goods.
The Commission visited and monitored the Nepal Oil Corporation, Department of Commerce, Nepal Food Management Company Limited as well as gas depots.
"According to the monitoring and observation, Nepal mainly depends on imports for the supply of petroleum products, and the raw materials to be imported are being supplied regularly as before," the statement said.
Although there has been some shortage in supply due to the issue of transportation management of some gas companies, the message circulated in various media that there is a problem in the overall management of gas supply has led consumers to store more than necessary and there is information that some businessmen have created artificial shortages, the NHRC stated.
The Commission has drawn attention to news, published and broadcast in the media, stating that there has been a shortage of LP gas in the Kathmandu Valley for some time, creating concern and fear among consumers due to the situation arising in the Middle East and the subsequent tension there.
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