March 19, Sudurpashchim Province — Following the onset of LPG gas shortages, young Nepali laborers working across various cities in India have started returning to Nepal. Particularly, Nepali youth employed in the hotel sector have been compelled to return home as their businesses have come to a halt due to the gas scarcity.
Roshan Khadka from Doti, who was met near the Nepal-India border at Trinagar in Kailali, shared that he returned after the hotel where he worked was about to shut down because of the gas shortage. “Accommodation and meals were provided at the hotel,” said Khadka, who returned from Mumbai. “With the hotel preparing to close due to the gas crisis and the prospect of unemployment looming, I decided to come back.”
Vijay Bik, encountered near the border area, also noted that hotels were on the verge of closing, and he planned to return home in time to celebrate the upcoming ‘Visu’ festival. He explained, “We planned to celebrate Visu at the end of Chaitra, but since many hotels have started closing, I returned earlier.” He emphasized that Nepali workers in the hotel sector have been the most affected by the gas shortage in India.
Another returnee, Mahesh Bhatt, stated that the gas shortage has caused job losses. “Many Nepali workers employed in hotels are facing unemployment. Nepalis working in other sectors are also impacted, but the hotel workers are predominantly affected,” Bhatt said.
Due to ongoing conflicts in West Asia, supply disruptions of petroleum products have arisen, leading the Indian government to enforce stricter regulation on fuel and cooking gas distribution.
A significant number of Nepali laborers work in India, particularly from the Sudurpashchim region.
