April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas. The department’s Assistant information officer Dhaneshwor Poudel informed that action was taken against Raju Store located at Sankhamul, Lalitpur and S and JS Store, located at Prayag Pokhari for hoarding LPG.

Poudel said that the department booked the store owners after it was found that they were hiding the LPG from consumers while saying that there was no gas available.

“Action was taken after we found Raju Store hiding 10 cylinders and S and JS store hiding 15 cylinders of LPG. Both the stores have been fined Rs 20,000 each,” Poudel said, adding that action was taken against both the stores for violating the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS.

The market is facing shortage of cooking gas ever since the petroleum dealers, transport companies and LPG dealers began protest since March 20.

Although the dealers have withdrawn their protests and Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the supply of gas, consumers are still facing trouble to get the LPG.

As the price of crude oil continues to rise in the international market, the dealers allegedly started hiding gas in order to sell them at an increased price later when the NOC increases the price.

The department informed that it has increased monitoring, of gas depots and gas stores and will continue the monitoring in upcoming days to expose such irregularities.