DIPAYAL: A joint market monitoring team of Regional Food Technology and Quality Control (FTQC) office, Consumers' Forum, political party representatives and district Chamber of Commerce and Industries has found stocks of substandard food items in Doti district.

The team inspected hundreds of shops in Dipayal and Silgadi yesterday and today.

"We were taken aback by what we found. Large quantities of date expired goods were found for sale," said Jagadish Joshi, an FTQC officer.

The dates of biscuits, flour, noodles and juice were mostly expired. Worse still, the team found expired drugs in stores in Dipayal and Silgadi. ''We found that substandard goods are being sent to rural areas where consumers are unaware about their rights," Joshi added.

''The traders had bought the goods only a few days back from the wholesaler,' said assistant CDO Rajkapur Chaulagain, who leads the team. ''It shows that the factories themselves send outdated goods to the remote districts.''

Padamsingh Bam, Doti chief of Consumer Rights Forum, said, ''The shopkeepers have been committing the crime openly since the administration is without strict measures to control the practice.''

Three cases have, however, been filed in Doti District Administration Office against illicit traders.