Mukunda Dhungel, spokesperson of NOC said Nepal Petroleum Transporters Federation (NPTF) agreed to withdraw its strike after NOC assured it would implement the decision from July 9. [break]
“As transporters resumed fuel distribution, we are hopeful the existing shortage will end from Sunday,” Dhungel told Republica.
NPTF had staged a protest beginning from Tuesday against the NOC´s move to backtrack from earlier decision to add 60 more trucks in the Kathmandu-Raxual route due to pressure from Central Region Tanker Operators Association (CRTOA). Supply of petroleum products in the capital had worsened, forcing general consumers to wait in long queues to refill petrol from state-owned outlets.
Loading of petroleum products from Raxaul depot had been brought to a complete standstill from Tuesday resulting in acute fuel crunch in the market.
NOC -- state-owned oil monopolist -- had decided to induct the 60 new tankers to shore up the supplies of petroleum products from Raxaul, the largest petroleum supplier depot for Nepal.
Protesting the decision, CRTOA had gone on agitation bringing import from Raxaul and distribution of fuel from Amlekhgunj and Thankot depots to a grinding halt.
This had instantly spurred shortage of petroleum products in the Kathmandu Valley and other cities of the central region. NOC had backtracked from its previous decision to induct new tankers on June 24 bowing down to the pressure from agitators.
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