Petrol sale on black market in Nepal, police on toes

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 13

The police have taken extra measures to check black markeeerting of petrol and diesel by Nepalese vehicle owners who fill tanks at Indian petrol pumps in the border towns of Banbasa and Tanakpur, Champawat SP DS Kunwar said here yesterday. They are also monitoring the petrol stations closely.

“We are checking vehicles coming from Nepal to India to fill fuel from petrol stations in border towns. We have instructed the petrol pump owners to keep a record of all Nepalese vehicles. We have also instructed the petrol pumps in border towns to supply only a limited quantity of petrol to Nepalese vehicles and keep the records of supplied fuel, besides the name and number of the vehicles,” said the SP.

Tanakpur SDM and Circle Officer of police today took sudden inspection of petrol pumps situated in Tanakpur and Banbasa at the Nepal border to find if any sort of fuel smuggling is being detected towards Nepal from these pumps. “We have found no symptoms of smuggling of fuel to Nepal and instructed the pump owners to issue required fuel to Nepalese vehicles from their pumps,” said Naresh Durgapal, SDM of Tanakpur.

According to the SDM, while the district administration has ordered to increase reserve quota of petrol and diesel at Banbasa pump from one thousand litre to two thousands litre taking the fuel crisis in neighboring Nepal. The police post at Banbasa barrage has also been instructed to keep records of the vehicles plying between Nepal and India on this route.

Rain destroys black gram, beans crops in Didihat

Sudden rain accompanied by hailstorm has destroyed the crops of Mandua and pulses in the Didihat and Askot regions.

The rain started on Monday evening and continued till Tuesday morning. “Rain accompanied by hailstorm has damaged black gram, beans and Mandua crops in the Askot region of Didihat subdivision. The crops were ready to be harvested,” said KB Pal, a farmer.

Meanwhile, the Terai region in Haldwani witnessed 12 mm of rainfall at several places. “The sudden rain has signalled the onset of the winter as the temperature has dipped considerably,” said Kailash Pathak, a Haldwani resident.