Kathmandu, August 30

The Central Market Monitoring Committee has directed all the concerned authorities to deploy inspection teams for market monitoring ahead of the festive season.

A meeting was held today led by Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, commerce and supplies secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS). The committee has directed the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection (DoCSCP), Department of Food Technology and Quality, Department of Livestock Development, Department of Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology and other concerned authorities today during the meeting to begin market monitoring.

Yogendra Gauchan, director general of DoCSCP, said that market monitoring will be more effective this year as compared to previous years. “Starting from this year, the local governments will also conduct market inspection in their respective areas,” he said. “Hence, the government believes that this year market monitoring will be more effective.”

Prior to this, the district divisional offices of the respective departments used to conduct market monitoring during the festive season.

According to Gauchan, eight to 10 teams will be inspecting the markets within the Valley every day. “We have only five inspectors at our office,” he said, “Thus, MoICS has added 28 more inspectors to our department for festive market monitoring.” He informed that seven officers and 21 second-class non-gazetted officers have been added to the inspection team of DoCSP.

He added that the DoCSP will continue with its regular market monitoring that it conducts all-year round.

Along with market monitoring, the meeting also discussed about operating fair price shops for the festive season. “Like in the previous years, Salt Trading Corporation and Dairy Development Corporation will operate fair price shops inside the Valley and districts close to the Valley while Nepal Food Corporation will operate fair price shops in remote areas,” Gauchan added.

Compared to previous years the government is preparing to increase the number of fair price outlets this year, he said. “We are working on this plan and we will soon reveal the areas of the fair price shops and the number of shops we will be operating for the festive season this year,” he said. “The committee has decided to increase the number of outlets this year.”

Last year, the government had operated fair price shops in 47 places across the country.