KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 25

Food Management and Trading Company Ltd (FMTCL) and Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have decided to extend the operation of fair price shops in the country till January 15.

The period of the operation of fair price shops, which were to be operated targeting the festive season from October 1 to November 21 this year, has been extended because the sales of food items were muted and also with the motive to facilitate the consumers as the country is still affected by COVID-19.

The government operates fair price shops, where food items are sold at discounted rates, during the festive season every year to facilitate consumers through its entities FMTCL, Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and DDC. Among them, FMTCL and DDC have extended the operation of fair price shops.

FMTCL is extending the period of operation of fair price shops as the company was unable to meet its sales target for the festive season.

“As we still have foods items that were allocated for selling at discounted rates and since the impact of COVID 19 still exists in the country, we have extended the period of operating fair price shops with the hope that it would also give some relief to the consumers,” said Sharmila Neupane Subedi, information officer of FMTCL.

She informed that FMTCL had targeted to sell 25,000 quintals of food items during the festive season but was able to sell only around 10,027 quintals. The company had sold 9,231 quintals of rice, 76 quintals of beans and 184 quintals of buckwheat during the festive season.

As per Subedi, fair price shops will be operated from all 29 FMT- CL sales centres at the discounted rates. The shops have been in operation in five locations in the valley such as Ram Shah Path, Thapathali, Nakkhu, Lagankhel and Bhaktapur and in 24 districts where the company has branch offices. Last year, the FMTCL operated a total of 24 fair price shops.

FMTCL’s fair price shops will offer discounts worth five rupees per kg on rice and Rs 10 per kg in beans and bitter buckwheat, as per Subedi. “We also offer other food items such as pulses, oil, ghee, salt and sugar. However, there will be no discount on these products,” she informed, adding, “There were discounts on these products too during the festive season. However, since STC has no discount offer now, we are offering discounts on our own products only.”

Similarly, Sanjeev Jha, chief of Marketing Management Department of DDC, informed that the corporation has decided to continue discount offers through DDC’s counters from Thursday up to January 15. “We will offer discount worth Rs 30 per litre on ghee,” informed Jha. DDC will be operating fair price shops through its outlets at Lainchaur, Khumaltar and Newroad in the valley and other places outside the valley where DDC has its outlets.

Meanwhile, Kumar Rajbhandari, information officer of STC, stated that the corporation offered essential goods at discounted rates fixed by the government during the festive season following the government’s direction, so it is not extending the offer.

“Apart from the government’s discount during the festive season, STC has been operating shops and offering essential consumer products at affordable rates throughout the year,” he added.

STC has been operating 38 such shops across the country, as per Rajbhandari.

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