LP Gas Shortage in Siraha Sparks Black Market Concerns, Prices Double

Siraha. Complaints are increasing in the district that some sellers have started black marketing by showing a shortage of cooking LP gas. Victims stated that they are being forced to pay more than double the fixed price.

According to Pintu Raut, operator of Maharaja Restaurant and Hotel in Lahan, shopkeepers have started charging exorbitant prices by taking advantage of the gas shortage. "When I went to get two cylinders of gas, they demanded NPR 4,500 per cylinder," he said. "The price for two cylinders should be NPR 3,820 at the fixed rate. How can I pay if they ask for NPR 9,000? I had to return empty-handed afterward."