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Long queues of consumers waiting to purchase cooking LPG gas cylinders have been witnessed at the branch office premises of National Trading Corporation in Teku, Kathmandu, exposing a widening gap between official assurances and the reality faced by households.

Carrying empty cylinders of various brands — including Sugam Gas, Nepal Gas, Everest Gas, LP Gas, Rajdhani Gas, and Triveni Gas — consumers were seen standing in line for hours, carrying cylinders by hand, on their shoulders, and even on motorcycles while waiting for their turn.

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has repeatedly claimed that there is no shortage of LPG gas in the country, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, and that supply arrangements remain fully normal.

However, consumers who reached Teku after failing to find gas at retail dealers said there was a major contradiction between the corporation’s statements and the situation on the ground.

The National Trading Corporation’s Teku branch has fixed LPG sales and distribution hours from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm only.

Despite heavy rainfall, muddy conditions, and exposure to the sun, hundreds of consumers were seen waiting in long lines during the limited distribution period.

NOC officials have maintained that LPG industries are receiving regular facilities and that gas bullets from India are entering Nepal without disruption.

According to the corporation, the current situation has emerged because some consumers are attempting to stockpile more gas than required out of fear, while some local dealers may have created an artificial shortage.

However, the presence of thousands of people at Teku raised serious questions among consumers: “If the Nepal Oil Corporation has enough gas, why are household kitchens running empty?”

When journalists visited the distribution center, many consumers expressed anger over what they described as weak monitoring by the Nepal Oil Corporation and the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection.

Several people were seen sitting on their own cylinders to rest while waiting for their turn. Consumers complained that the six-hour sales window at the Teku branch was insufficient to handle the large number of people seeking LPG cylinders.

They argued that restricting sales to only a few hours has forced thousands of consumers to gather at a single location, creating unnecessary hardship. Many demanded the introduction of a token system or online registration process to make distribution more organized and accessible.

The traditional physical queue system has created additional difficulties for elderly citizens, women, and people with disabilities, who are forced to wait for long periods under uncomfortable conditions.

Consumer rights activists have urged the Nepal Oil Corporation to coordinate with the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection to conduct effective market monitoring, verify LPG availability at Kathmandu’s dealers, and investigate possible black-market activities.

They said that merely issuing statements claiming “adequate gas supply” is not enough, and authorities must ensure that LPG cylinders actually reach consumers’ doorsteps through a transparent and efficient distribution system.