Substandard foodstuffs

Har Govinda Panday’s article “Junk food and consumers’ rights (THT, Jan 9) reflects the debate over the food preferences of the Nepalis and the often poor quality of the foodstuffs we export. It is a matter of shame that Nepali products were returned from Europe after they were found to be substandard.

The tag of poor quality may also apply to a number of imported foodstuffs which are also likely to push local producers out of the market. Because of the lack of a good food testing laboratory and other reasons, it has not been possible to control the quality of the foodstuffs in Nepal, either imported or locally produced. Therefore, the consumers themselves have to be extra careful that they do not happen to buy substandard food items. It is necessary for both the government and the people to guard against the harmful effects of substandard

products and discourage their marketing and consumption.

But all this calls for effective measures and mechanisms. The country also needs to protect its farmers. The local milk producers, for instance, are facing problems due to imported powdered milk. A proper balance should be struck between imported and local products.

Mina Sapkota, Gongabu

Act soon

The statement by the acting secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Udaya Raj Sharma, is a totally irresponsible one (“Rhino poaching no big issue: Sharma”, THT, Jan 11). The important question to ask here is the number of rhinos that remain.

If the population of an animal species falls below 50, its loss becomes imminent. The population of rhinos at both the Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve and Bardia National Park is below that critical level. Effective action is required before it becomes too late.

Asish Dhakal, CDES, TU

Great

THT coverage of the CAN InfoTech-2007 was great. Those who are not able to make it to the event at the BICC can do the next best thing by reading THT.

Bivek Dhakal, Kupondole

Judiciary

Judicial impartiality is the essence of democracy. But our judiciary needs to do better on this front. Strong legal provisions should be put in place to impeach the members of the judiciary who are guilty of indiscipline, irresponsibility and corruption. Moreover, the CIAA should also be empowered to handle the cases of corruption in the judiciary. Otherwise, we cannot expect the Nepali judiciary to improve.

Ramesh B Shrestha, Lalitpur

Thoughtless

It is laughable that the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) personnel could not differentiate between the images of the Nepali peaks and those of the historic Peruvian site of Machu

Picchu. Is Nepal inferior to that South American nation in terms of her natural beauty and historic sites? But this incident hints so.

This kind of thoughtless activity might seem like a minor event, but on a closer examination, it is a blow to the sentiment of proud Nepalis. Such incidents should not be repeated.

Roshan Shrestha, Thamel