Delayed rice supply dampens Dashain joy in Jajarkot

Karveer Budha, a resident of Rajutara in Junichande-7, Jajarkot, was hopeful of receiving rice from the government's depot for Dashain celebrations. But his hopes were dashed as officials informed the locals that the depot would not be able to distribute rice before the Dashain festival.

The disappointment is palpable among the locals who are now uncertain about how to secure rice for the Dashain festivities. Rice is already scarce in the local market, and if available, it comes at a high price compared to the subsidized rice distributed by government depots.

The Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) has been distributing subsidized rice in various remote areas of the country. However, residents like Karveer are dismayed as the state-owned food company has failed to supply rice to depots in different remote villages. “The Dashain festival is upon us, but we don’t have a grain of rice at home. The government’s depot has remained closed for three months. How can we celebrate in this situation?” lamented Ramkali Gharti of Rajutara.

 The shortage is not limited to the depot in Rajutara. Government depots in Tangachaur, Kauli, and Nayakbada of Barekot, Chaukha of Nalgad, Tapuchaur of Kushe, and Dashera and Pajaru of Chhedagad have all run out of stock. Locals who depend on these depots now face uncertainty about celebrating Dashain, all due to the FMTC’s failure to initiate the tendering process for rice supply on time.

The remote municipalities of Nalgad and Chhedegad, as well as Kushe and Junichande rural municipalities, are grappling with severe food grain shortages. With their summer crops not yet ready for harvest and the FMTC failing to supply food to its depots, residents are facing a challenging situation.

The FMTC has recently chosen bidders to supply food grains to its remote depots. “We selected the successful bidder 10 days ago, and our head office has given us 15 days to sign an agreement with them,” said Ram Prasad Poudel, the chief of FMTC Jajarkot Office. “We urged the company to commence rice transportation immediately, but they are refusing citing bad road conditions due to the monsoon.”

A recent meeting of the District Food Management Committee had requested the relevant authorities to ensure rice supply to government depots before the Dashain festival.

FMTC Jajarkot Office has appointed MB Builders of Jajarkot to transport rice to government depots in Chaukha, Tapuchaur, and Tangachaur. Similarly, Anjila Traders from Nepalgunj have been roped in to transport rice to depots in Pajaru, Dashera, Nayakbada, and Rajutara. According to Poudel of FMTC Jajarkot Office, they will supply 750 quintals to Chaukha, 1,000 quintals to Nayakbada, 500 quintals to Tapuchaur, 750 quintals to Tangachaur, 700 quintals to Rajutara, and 500 quintals each to Dashera and Pajaru.

While Pajaru and Dashera will receive their rice supply from Nepalganj, other depots will receive their supply from the district headquarters Khalanga. Locals prefer thick rice due to its affordability. However, the FMTC Jajarkot Office has only fine rice in stock which is being distributed in the district headquarters, Khalanga. The situation has left locals in a difficult position. As paddy is not cultivated in most remote areas of Jajarkot, locals rely on government depots for their rice supply. However, the FMTC consistently fails to transport rice to these depots on time due to inadequate preparation and an apparent lack of concern for the plight of people in remote areas.