DoC seeks clarification from gas companies

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Aug 20: The Department of Commerce (DOC), a regulator of consumer products, has sought clarification from three cooking gas companies after they were found distributing gases without following standard norms and practices.

The action was based on the market inspections conducted by a high level High standard monitoring team on Wednesday and Thursday.

The three gas companies namely Himal gas, Everest gas and Sagarmatha gas were found to have violated standard norms and practices, said Kamal Bahadur Thapa, the market inspector from Department of Commerce

Based on our market inexertion report, we have asked all the three companies to furnish clarifications within a week, he said and added that further actions will depend on clarifications. "If the clarification is not satisfactory, we´ll file a case," he said.

Everest gas was found selling out-of-date gas containers which had already been banned. Similarly, Sagarmatha gas and Himal gas were found to have not adopted even minimum safety requirements.

According to Thapa, both the companies were found not properly checking the valves fitted in the gas cylinders before them sending them to the market. "The cylinders of both the companies were found at risks as they were violating minimum security requirements," he said. While opening the valve, the monitoring team also found some residual paste at the bottom of the cylinders, Thapa said. "The gases are dangerous to be in the market that way," he added.

Though both the companies have installed machines for hydrostatic, the machines were found manually operational.

The team also found leakage problems in Sai Baba gas and the company has also been asked to furnish clarification. Based on the complaints received at the department, gas cylinders issued by Saibaba gas were also found with leakage problems, Thapa told Republica.

Following an increase in cooking gas related accidents in recent weeks, the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies formed the team for the quality monitoring of gas cylinders and distribution system.

According to department officials, the serious lapses related to consumer security found in the gas cylinders are worrisome.