The subsidized rice sent for Sarmi depot of Nepal Food Corporation has been sold before reaching the target people. The rice, which was being brought for Sarmi depot at Mudkechula rural municipality-7 from NFC, was sold at Tribeni of Aathbiskot municipality-4 of Rukum district.
Tribeni lies at the border of Jajarkot, Dolpa and Rukum districts. Locals said that they did not get rice after the subsidized rice was sold before bringing it at Sarmi depot.
The rice, provided by the government in subsidized rate, is brought to depot through contract every year. Janak Budha of BC Trades, Salyan, said that 1,000 quintals of rice supplied through contract was sold at Tribeni of Rukum without taking it at Sarmi depot.
Chief of NFC, Dolpa, Kamal Raj Pandey accepted that such amount of subsidized rice was sold at Tribeni in presence of employee of Sarmi depot, Mukunda Paneru. The locals of Mudkechula have not yet got subsidized rice after the rice was sold at Tribeni.
Chairperson of Mudkechula rural municipality Datta Bahadur Shahi demanded action against those behind the illegal act. “The villages are facing a rice shortage. It is yearly phenomena that subsidized rice is sold off before the consignment reaches the target people,” he said.
The local people reach the Sarmi depot every day only to return empty handed. The villages depend on subsidized and purchased rice as they fail to produce enough food grains to sustain the villagers the whole year.
The Sarmi depot now is empty of subsidized rice as the supply for this year is yet to reach it. The locals have to carry loads of food grains on their back or rely on mules to make the supply as the villages are disconnected from the road network.
