Malpractices in market continue unabated

KATHMANDU, JAN 17 -No matter how much effort the government puts in market monitoring, malpractices in the market are continuing unabated. A market inspection team on Thursday re-sealed Roshi Products, a sauce factory located in Teku, Kathmandu.


Four months ago, the same factory was sealed by an inspection team coordinated by the Department of Commerce and Supply Management after finding it in “very unhygienic state” for production. At the time, the owner of the factory, Sunil Sainju, was also arrested by the Police for his wrongdoing, but was later released.
And on Thursday, a monitoring team found the factory being operated without the government’s permission and without any improvement in cleanliness. “The factory is attached with Teku’s dumpling site and it has failed to maintain cleanliness despite the action,” said Hari Narayan Belbase, director of the department, who led Thursday’s market monitoring.

He said since the act of the factory is “unbearable”, they will file a case against it on the basis of the Consumer Rights Projection Act after holding necessary legal consultations. Sainju was released after 21 days in Police custody at Rs 50,000 bail, according to department officials.

The sealed factory said it received “verbal permission” from the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control to shift the production unit from Teku to Balaju Industrial Estate. However, during the monitoring on Thursday, the factory was found being operated fully without proper provision for cleaning bottles with clean water, processing and packing.

Similarly, Jhigu Mari Pasa, a sweet shop at Kalimati, also failed to obey the department’s instruction. It was found stocking date-expired cold drinks. During previous inspection four months ago, government officials had destroyed 27 bottles of Pepsi and Mountain Dew and had also directed the store to make aprons mandatory for staff.

On Thursday, the inspection team also sealed Kasthamandap Khadya Udog at Teku and a sweet shop at Kuleshwor owned by Subash Gupta. During the monitoring, Kasthamandap Khadya Udog was found being operated without maintaining any caution for production of germ-free sweet products.

It has been issued direction to first install infrastructure required and operate the business only after monitoring and approval from the department. Gupta has been directed to maintain separate kitchen, signboard and price list and operate business only after the department’s approval.