RAJBIRAJ, APRIL 1
Staff crunch has long crippled Food Technology and Quality Control Division Office of Saptari. The office entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the market is being manned by just two staffers for a long time now.
Set up three years ago in Rajbiraj, the office works for the welfare of the consumer by carrying out regular market morning. The office with an oversight over Saptari and Siraha districts has a whole lot of responsibility from monitoring the businesses to see whether they are selling quality and healthy products and are operating legally.
"We have a very sensitive and great responsibility, but as we don't have enough staffers and vehicles, we aren't able to fulfil our responsibility fully," said office Chief Suresh Singh, adding his office had only him and an office assistant.
"We have posts for a food investigation officer, two assistant technicians and an office assistant, but both the post of assistant technicians are laying vacant," he said.
"Regarding vehicles, we've just a two-wheeler. Apparently, what we would do with a motorbike," lamented the office chief. "We have to cover both districts and sometimes have to seize date-expired and inedible goods, and how is it possible to do these things with a motorbike?" he asked.
Singh, however, said his office had been doing whatever it could despite the manpower shortage and other problems.
"So far this fiscal, we've conducted 52 market monitorings in both Saptari and Siraha districts," he said, his office is also conducting consumer awareness campaigns.
Chief District Officer Janardan Gautam conceded the problem the office is facing but added staff crunch is the reality with many other offices in the district.
"It's true that many offices don't have enough manpower. My office has informed the higher-up about the situation here and hope the problem will be solved soon," he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 2, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
