MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

Sagar Rana has waited all night inside his car on a petrol line at Bhadrakali.

It is now 9.30 AM on Thursday morning, the road is filling up with commuters driving to work. Sagar's car is where it was when he joined the queue last night, his eyes are red from the lack of sleep. The pump has opened, but it will take another six hours for him to get to the head of the line and, when he does, he will only get a rationed 10 litres of gasoline into his tank.

"This is pure incompetence," says Sagar wearily, "we are sick of a government that doesn't care."

Right down the line, there is a similar refrain. Drivers seething with anger at the government's inability to ensure adequate supply now for nearly two years. At the pump, goons force the attendant to fill up their tanks. Others in the line complain, and there is nearly a fist fight.

It's not that there isn't the money to pay for imported fuel. The government doesn't want to keep subsidising it, and is reluctant to raise the prices for political reasons. Not everything can be blamed on the international price of crude at $120 per barrel. Corruption, mismanagement, adulteration and the NOC's monopoly in distribution are equally responsible.

In the short-term, fuel prices need to be raised, but consumers can be cushioned if the taxes are tied to the old price. The new government must also reduce taxes on electric cars and vans.

In the medium-term, letting the private sector into fuel import and retail will control corruption and adulteration. And ultimately, there is no alternative but to reduce dependence on imported fuel by switching to renewables.

At Bhadrakali, motorcyclist Ritesh has lost all patience: "Let the government double the petrol price to Rs 200, I don't care. But stop torturing us like this."