Bajura, October 4

It has been four months since Kawadi depot of Bajura’s Himali Rural Municipality ran out of rice, affecting 4,000 people residing in Wards No 1, 2 and 3 of the municipality. Local Janak Rokaya said every  household had been facing food crisis.

Himali Rural Municipality Vice-chair Chandra Kala  Budha slammed the government for not supplying adequate amount of rice  at Kawadi depot. Parbalal Budthapa, a local, said villagers were reeling  under an acute shortage of rice as not a single grain of rice was  supplied to the depot for the past four months.

However, Martadi Depot at the headquarters and Kolti depot have plenty of rice in stock. Martadi depot has stock of 2,400 quintal rice from the last fiscal while Kolti depot has stock of 2,500 quintals of rice from the last fiscal.

Martadi and Kolti depots are close to a market. Thus, rice from the depots hardly sells. Food Corporation Bajura Branch Manager Mekhraj Ojha said rice quota allocated for Kawadi depot was low and centre had not increased rice supply despite pleas.

Food Corporation Bajura office said it was preparing to send 200 quintal rice to provide locals with rice at Dashain and Tihar festivals. The corporation said Ankit Construction Service was awarded the contract to supply rice and it would dispatch rice to the Kawadi depot within two days.