GORKHA: The foodstuff to be provided to earthquake victims of Uhiya and Sirdibas areas of Gorkha for constructing roads under the 'Food for Work' programme has been found rotten.

Though World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with Goreto Gorkha had brought rice and pulse to the villages in the district for the distribution, locals of Uhiya and Sirdibas could not get the determined amount of food grain as the foodstuff had been damaged during transportation by mules and poor storage.

Locals said that only a little amount of foodstuff was distributed to them after some sacks of foodstuff were found rotten on Monday. Jit Bahadur Gurung of Uhiya said that out of the stored amount of foodstuff, half the amount got damaged.He said although 150 kg of rice and 27 kg of pulse should be distributed to each household, only 75 kg of rice and nine kg of pulse were distributed on Monday.

The remaining amount of foodstuff would be distributed after some days, said an employee of Goreto Gorkha.

Similarly, food grain was also found damaged at Jagat of Sirdibas in course of distributing it on Monday, said ward Chairman of Sirdibas, Ram Kumar Gurung.Twenty sacks of rice got damaged during the transport by mules and on the top of that poor storage  further damaged 15 sacks.

The WFP has already distributed foodstuff to 200 houses at Uhiya and to 69 at Sirdibas.

Similarly, 600 households at Sirdibas and 400 at Uhiya are yet to be provided with foodstuff for their work. A person contributing a 40-day labour to the road construction is entitled to receiving 150 kg of rice and 27 kg of pulse.

However, the Goreto Gorkha has denied the distribution of rotten rice. It has claimed that rotten or inedible foodstuff was separated from the storehouse before the distribution and only rice and pulse suitable for consumption were provided to the locals. The WFP has said it would distribute the remaining foodstuff in the second phase.

It is noted that prior to this, the WFP had buried a huge quantity of rotten rice meant for Laprak residents of Gorkha.

Financial assistance to conflict survivors

Financial assistance over Rs 174 million was distributed to the conflict survivors of the decade-long armed conflict in the district.

The Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction allocated Rs 184 billion to the district meant for the families of those killed during the conflict and those of the disappeared and displaced, according to  Peace Committee Office chief Rul Bahadur Ale.

Each bereaved family was so far provided with one million rupees while the families of the disappeared received Rs 25,000 each, as stated by Ale.