Nepal Industry Minister Gauri Kumari Yadav resigns

Nepal’s Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Gauri Kumari Yadav, has resigned from her post following a severe liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage and controversial remarks regarding gas suppliers. Yadav submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday.

The resignation follows a parliamentary committee meeting where Yadav suggested the government should revoke the licenses of all 58 private LPG companies operating in the country, stating that only two companies would be sufficient to meet needs. She accused entrepreneurs of creating artificial shortages and failing to comply with directives from the Nepal Oil Corporation. Yadav also noted significant discrepancies in supply, reporting that out of 48,000 cylinders sent to the Kathmandu Valley, only approximately 20,000 reached the market.

The shortage has caused significant hardship for consumers in the Kathmandu Valley, who face long queues and are reportedly paying prices as high as Rs 3,000 for cylinders with an official price of Rs 2,060. While the government maintains that imports are being supplied, market conditions remain difficult. Yadav’s departure marks the third ministerial resignation from the Shah administration since its formation in late March.