However, the relief materials, which consist mostly of food items, have been rotting due to the negligence of the authorities concerned in distributing the materials on time.
About 200 sacks of rice, several sacks of lentils and other food items provided by the government and various donors are said to be rotting in the hall. When one gets near the hall, they can smell the rotting foodgrain. The hall is under the jurisdiction of the District Development Committee (DDC). As the relief materials could not be distributed on time, the hall could not be used for what it is meant for.
Locals alleged that the concerned authorities are deliberately turning a blind eye to the situation even when the stench is making the whole surrounding intolerable.
“People like us while eating our daytime meal worry about where our evening meal comes from. Leaving the rice to rot is a shameful act on the part of the authorities. We wonder why the rice wasn't distributed even after eight months of the earthquake,” said Kajiman Thing, a local. “The rice has become inedible and its smell is polluting the surrounding, but still the authorities do not seem to be working to dispose of the rice,” he bemoaned.
The district administration however has its own explanation.
“The District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) had given instructions keep some foodgrain in stock for distribution during possible monsoon-time disasters. But we had instructed them to distribute the food on time,” said Babu Prashad Kafle, assistant chief district officer.
Meanwhile, Local Development Officer (LDO) Shiva Prashad Humagain, who is also a member of the DDRC said he was not aware about relief materials rotting in the hall.
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