No shortage of essentials: Govt

KATHMANDU, NOV 14 -The government on Wednesday said it has stocked essential goods sufficient for the next 21 days and that there would be no shortage of foodstuff during the Constituent Assembly (CA) election .

The statement has come amid concerns about possible shortage and price hike of daily commodities due to the strike called by the 33-party led by the CPN-Maoist. “Stocks of rice, lentils and cereals are adequate for up to 21 days,” said Kishna Hari Baskota, secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office at a programme here on Wednesday.

Revealing the government’s preparation for maintaining smooth supply during the CA election , he said the current stock of petroleum products suffices the need for the next nine days.

According to official figures, food consumption of Kathmandu stands at 350-400 tonnes per day. The government has stocked 7,300 tonnes of rice, 1,300 tonnes of lentil and cereals, 20,000 tonnes of sugar and 80,000 tonnes of salt. The stock of sugar and salt addresses the demand for the next two and six months, respectively. Nepal Food Corporation has stocked 16,401 tonnes of foodstuff.


Baskota said the market also has enough stocks of rice, maize, lentils and wheat flour. He said the government has directed to increase the stock of aviation fuel, while the stock of other petroleum products is enough for addressing the need for the next nine days. The current stock of 30,000 tonnes of edible oil and ghee is sufficient for the next two and half months, he said. Currently, the government has 19,155 kilo litres of petroleum products. The government has also provisioned police escorting for vehicles laden with goods and petroleum products from customs points, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies. The 33-party alliance has called nationwide transport strike until Nov 20 against the CA election slated for Nov 19. After a meeting with the government on Tuesday, transporters resu-med services from Wednesday.

At the meeting, the government had agreed to release Rs 50,000 immediately as relief in case of damage to vehicles and provide insurance claims easily. The government has also agreed to provide free medical treatment to passengers and staff of public transports in case of injuries from any unwanted situation, according to the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs.

At the time when the prices of green vegetable, chicken and eggs are increasing significantly, the Essential Service Operation and Management Committee under the Home Minister has directed agencies such as the Department of Commerce and Supply Management to control artificial price hike. The committee has decided to set up security camps at different sections of the highways and carry out round-the-clock patrolling on highways for smooth operation of the transport service.