Supply committee decides to enforce odd-even rule to address fuel shortage
The meeting of the Supply Management Committee of the government, Saturday, decided to enforce odd-even rule beginning Monday to deal with the acute shortage of petroleum products.
The committee decided that odd-numbered vehicles (registration number) can obtain fuel only on odd days while even-numbered vehicles can obtain fuel on even days.
Likewise, the committee also decided to designate separate petrol pumps for motorcycles and vehicles.
The Committee also decided to designate special petrol pumps to provide fuel to vital institutions providing essential services such as hospitals, schools etc. “Major institutions like hospitals, dairy, media, schools, airport, diplomatic missions, drinking water etc will be provided with separate pumps,” said Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Purushottam Ojha.
It also decided to fix quota or ration when selling petroleum products. According to a member of the committee Shiva Prasad Ghimire, who is also the president of Nepal Petroleum Dealers Association, daily notice will be published regarding which pumps will distribute fuel on what days. He said that each time a motorcycle can get petrol worth Rs 500; a car can buy petrol worth Rs 1000 and taxis can buy petrol worth Rs 1500. Likewise, big vehicles can buy diesel worth Rs 1000 at a time; public transport vehicles can buy diesel worth Rs 2000 and long-distance buses can buy diesel worth Rs 3000.
Meanwhile reports say over 100 tankers carrying fuel and around 40 trucks carrying cooking gas have left Birgunj for the capital on Saturday. nepalnews.com sd Feb 24 08
