Kathmandu, Aug 9: Plainclothes police have been deployed at gas depots across the Kathmandu Valley following reports of black marketing and an artificially created shortage of cooking gas. The operation is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. The Industry Ministry said it had received repeated complaints that traders were creating an artificial shortage despite no disruption in gas imports from India. Plainclothes police began monitoring gas depots across the Kathmandu Valley from Saturday morning. The Home Ministry said it may extend the operation to gas depots and sales centres in other districts if information gathered during the Kathmandu Valley monitoring indicates a wider problem.