Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, May 1:

Locals of Diktel, the headquarters of Khotang district, are staring starvation in the face following disruption of food supply.

Hundreds of people have been scouring markets in other neighbouring districts including Udayapur, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa to replenish their exhausted food stocks.

Arjun Shrestha of Diktel said he had come to Biratnagar to purchase food grains

after bandhs and a long embargo hindered food supply to Diktel.

Deprived of services like transportation, electricity and telephone, Diktel locals have been suffering from the blockade since the imposition of state of emergency.

Shrestha said after the emergency, locals were forced to pay three times the normal price. He added that even then the food was not available in sufficient quantity.

A woman from Diktel, arriving in Biratnagar to buy food grains, said in Diktel the price of one kilogram of rice had jumped from Rs 40 to Rs 90.

Lamenting that there was crisis of grains, lentils, vegetables, corn and wheat, she

said, “The Maoists were stopping us from travelling to the Terai we got through by claiming that we were going to see ailing relatives.”

She added that the supply was stopped after the Maoists started looting the mule-trains transporting food supplies to Diktel.

Khotang CDO, Mohan Krishna Sapkota, claimed the rice was being airlifted from Udayapur but helicopter operators said the rice was meant only for security persons.