Butwal, jan 29: Twenty-five per cent of the kerosene sold here is being deflected because of differences in sale price.

The deflection is due to kerosene use for industrial purposes and by hotels instead of by the target group and also its use in place of diesel.

Participants in a discussion programme on sale and distribution of kerosene organised in siddarthanagar by the Nepal oil corporation western reginal office said that kerosene is mixed in diesel, when kerosene is imported only the relevent documents arrive here but not the kerosene tanker, the tankers when they do arrive do not contain the specified amount of kerosene, and the kerosene also tends to return to india in the tankers.

The oil corporation has been supplying kerosene at a subsidised price of rs l3 per litre for the benefit of low income consumers. But since the kerosene is being mostly used by other than the target group, a dual pricing system is necessary, the participants concluded.

They suggested that the VDCs, DDCs and municipalities should be empowered to issue ration cards for kerosene.

National trading ltd general manager and Nepal oil corporation board member promod upadhyaya said the corporation is thinking about introducing ration cards from next april.

Nawalparasi cdo lalit Bahadur thapa said introducing a ration card system would help maintain law and order.

Nawalparasi DDC chairman ishwari Prasad pandey, ramgram mayor govinda chaudhari and CPN-UML rupandehi office secretary bund rana also participated in the programme.

The participants were informed that a mobile van is being provided to ensure the quality of petroleum products.