Red lentil in the Salt Trading Corporation (STC) fair price shop located at Thapathali is sold at Rs 107 per kg while the price is as high as Rs 120 per kg at general shops in the capital. [break]
In the same way, yellow split pea is labeled at Rs 128 per kg in the fair price shops while it costs Rs 140 in the general stores.Black lentil costs Rs 103 per kg at the fair price shops while they are labeled Rs 120 per kg in the local market. Beans cost Rs 165 per kg at fair price shops while they are sold at Rs 190 per kg outside.
STC Bhansaghar steamed rice is available at Rs 1,400 per 25 kg sack while it costs as high as Rs 1,625 in the general store -- a difference of almost Rs 200.
STC Sawa rice and STC Premium Pokhareli rice cost Rs 1,295 and Rs 1,215 per 25 kg sack respectively in the fair price shops. But the local retailers charge Rs 1,400 for 20 kg sack of sawa rice and as much as Rs 1,900 per 20 kg sack of Pokhareli rice.
Pabitra Bajracharya, chairman of Nepal Retailers´ Association (NRA), said, “The government provides sufficient subsidy to fair price shops while our retailers have to run on their own and also the quality of same item may vary according to the brands”. He also claimed that the prices of commodities in the local market are not significantly high than those provided at fair price shops.
Nepal Food Corporation, Salt Trading Corporation (NTC), National Trading Limited (NTL) and Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have been operating fair price shops at different places in the capital, targeting upcoming Dashain, Tihar and Chhat festivals.
Related story
FMTC to bring 60 fair-price shops into operation during upcomin...
