The NFC office has just 380 quintals of rice, while the normal daily demand is 300 quintals. The crisis emerged after rain damaged roads affecting delivery of food to the district. Locals are depending on government supplies due to earlier this year and poor harvest. [break]
Owing to limited supply, the NFC is curtailing supplies so that the stock lasts longer.
Arrival of fresh supplies stopped in mid-June after the Sallibazaar-Jajarkot road section was damaged, according to Doleshwar Niraula, acting chief of NFC Jajarkot office. He said the available supplies would not last even a day if the district residents are supplied according to demand.
The NFC office is now releasing 10 kilograms of rice per individual, down by five kilograms from the normal supply. Also, the office has started releasing supplies only on Sundays. But in view of the upcoming Teej festival, the office has decided not to release supplies next Sunday, according to Niraula.
The stinginess demonstrated by the office has disappointed villagers who trek for days to reach the district headquarters for rice.
Ain Bahadur Nepali of Tasi village at Nayakbada-8 trekked for three days to reach the district headquarters. After receiving just 10 kilograms of rice, he said it was enough for just two days for his family.
Satya Devi Khatri of Pajaru VDC, who trekked for two days to reach the district headquarters, also expressed disappointment.
Similarly, Mainkali Rokaya of Risang, Khalanga-6, was reduced to tears. “There is no food at home. I came to get rice, but there isn´t enough,” he said, weeping.
The food stock present at the NFC office is the last chunk of the 3,000 quintals approved by the government last fiscal year. But the 4,000 quintals approved by the government for the district for the current fiscal year has not arrived owing to road collapse.
The district Food Management Committee, in a recent meeting, agreed to request the government to provide 8,000 quintals of rice to the district, according to the chairman of the committee and chief district officer, Khyam Bahadur Thapa.
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