Khotang, September 23

Unmanaged road and protracted Tarai bandh have led to scarcity of daily essentials in Khotang.

Rajendra Layalu, Chairman of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khotang chapter, said the locals were facing dearth of rice, sugar, beaten rice, cooking oil, cooking gas, among other items.

Shortage of LPG gas has hit students, employees and hotel entrepreneurs the hardest.

Hotelier Nir Kumar Shrestha from Diktel Municipality said it was getting increasingly difficult for him to operate his hotel following the shortage of daily essentials. Moreover, the scarcity has increased the price of goods by 75 per cent.

Layalu said local entrepreneurs procured enough goods before removing the Bailey Bridge in Sunkoshi River during monsoon as the district was not directly linked to the highway. “We are facing crunch of daily essentials as goods in stock have run out and Diktel-Haleshi road section along the mid-hill Lokmarga is yet to be repaired,” he said.

He complained that traders would not be able to procure and supply goods even if the Tarai bandh was lifted. “Regular supply of goods is not possible until the Diktel-Haleshi road section comes into operation,” he added.

Vehicles have not plied on the Diktel-Haleshi road after it was readied for black-topping but this was prevented by rainfall for the past six months. Though contractors were supposed to complete the road repair by mid-September, not even 15 per cent of the work has been completed so far.