BAJURA, NOVEMBER 12

With Parliamentary and Provincial Assembly elections just around the corner, candidates and leaders of political parties have reached even the remotest part of Bajura, including Himali Rural Municipality for campaigning, but people here have not got relief from the problems caused food crisis.

Though political party leaders have reached the far flung rural municipality canvassing votes, none of them seem to be concerned about the shortage of rice at Kawadi Depot. The locals here have been facing food crisis for the last five months.

Dhan Lal Rokaya of Himali Rural Municipality said the temporary depot at Kawadi ran out of rice stock some five months ago, but no initiative was taken to supply rice to the depot even at a time when candidates are trying to woo the voters. Rokaya said that as none the depots have stock of rice, locals are compelled to buy rice at an exorbitant price,' he said.

A local, Amar Lal Budthapa, complained that poll candidates had not shown any interest in addressing their problems. The locals of wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the rural municipality have been facing acute food crisis. They are compelled to buy rice at an exorbitant price.

Chief at Martadi Food Management and Trade Company Limited Mekha Raj Ojha said the allocated 2,500 quintals of rice for the depot had yet to be supplied.

He said preparations were on to supply rice to the depot.

The price of essentials has gone up due to obstruction of the Karnali Corridor.

Locals said they had to take loan to buy rice. Locals have to walk for two days to reach Kawadi Depot, but most of the time they have to return empty-handed as this depot hardly has enough rice. Some 4,000 people depend on this depot for rice.

The food grains locals produce in their fields do not even last for two months.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 13, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.