Locals of Humla Compelled to Eat Rotten Rice

  March 9, 2021 By: INSEC

Locals in Sarkegad village have been forced to eat rotten rice.

Dil Bahadur Karki of Sarkegad Rural Municipality-1 Jaira complained that he had to walk two hours to the Balukuna Depot of Food Management and Trade Company Limited to fetch rotten rice. There was only rotten rice in the depot. I brought it even though there was no food at home,” said Karki.

Dhangadi Bam of Jaira had brought rotten rice from the same depot on January 8, 2021. “Carrying a sack on my back for NRs. 1,500, the rice I brought from two hours away was not edible, but I did not take it back to the depot because I had to walk for two hours to return it. I fed the cows and buffaloes,” said Bam.

Due to the indifference of the employees of the food management and trading company and the extreme negligence of the contractor transporting rice, the locals have been suffering and they have been raising their voices time and again.

The Himal Construction Services Company had transported rice from Surkhet to Mugu’s Soru Kot at Balukuna Depot. Birkha Tamata, a contractor of Himal Construction Services Mugu, sold the rotten rice. According to him, seven quintals of rotten rice have been covered with a tent at the Balukuna sales center.

Contractor Tamata said that the rice was rotten because it got wet while being transported. He said that the contractor did not pay attention even though the rice was yet to be brought for the Balukuna sales depot.

According to the Food Management and Trade Company Limited Surkhet office, the government has allocated Rs 250,085,000 to transport 2,875 tons of rice to Humla this year.

It costs Rs 114.80 per kg to transport rice from Nepalgunj to Simkot branch and Rs 112.80 per kg from Surkhet. Rice is transported from Mugu to Sarkegad depot at the rate of Rs 3,000 per quintal.

Nirmal Thapa, chief of the Simkot branch office of the Food Management and Trading Company, said that attention could not be paid to all as there were only two employees.

According to Thapa, the Food Management and Trade Company Limited has fined the company Rs 38,640 on February 5 for negligence in transportation and distribution.

Madhav Mishra, manager of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited Surkhet office, said that action has been taken against the culprits.

Mishra said that action would be taken against the contractor who delayed the delivery of food.


Nanda Singh