Kathmandu, October 14

The government has begun festive market-centric market inspection from today.

Market monitoring bodies of the government — the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DoFTQC) and the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Protection of Consumers (DoCSPC) — have started the Dashain-focused market inspection, both on joint basis and individually.

Moreover, officials of both the departments informed that market inspection will continue even during Dashain holidays in major markets in city areas and different highway hotels as per necessity.

“Commuters have been complaining about the low quality of food that hotels along the highways have been serving to consumers,” informed Purna Chandra Osti, spokesperson for DoFTQC, adding that the department has deployed separate inspection teams to monitor highway hotels for this Dashain.

Similarly, DoFTQC also said that festival market focused market inspection has been intensified in Kathmandu Valley.

While DoFTQC has been inspecting the food quality in the market, the DoCSPC has also mobilised its inspection teams to curb market anomalies, including sales of substandard products and arbitrary hike in price of goods.

“We have mobilised more than one dozen inspection teams in the market to curb possible anomalies,” informed Yogendra Gauchan, director general at DoCSPC.

These teams will especially focus their inspection on goods that have high consumption rate during Dashain like sugar, rice, lentils, apparels, sweets, dairy products and livestock, among others, according to Gauchan.

Meanwhile, Gauchan also informed that the department is carrying out joint inspection with DoFTQC and other government agencies in major markets in the Valley.

Though the supply of substandard goods is normal in markets across the country, anti-consumer activities are rampant especially during the festive season when the consumption of goods, foods and other services is usually high.

Meanwhile, the government has said that it will give continuity to the festive market inspection till Chhath.

Similarly, the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has mobilised its inspection teams to curb possible anomalies in the public transportation sector during the Dashain festival.