Millions worth utensils meant for quake victims go missing

KATHMANDU, July 1: Millions of rupees worth kitchen utensils, which had been sent as relief by donors, have not reached the victims even two months after the devastating April 25 earthquake.

The home ministry, which is overseeing relief distribution, neither has the record of organizations importing these utensils nor any information if the victims have received the materials.

Customs documents show that kitchen materials worth millions have been brought into the country between April 25 and May 3.The government had decided not to impose taxes on the import of relief material till May 3. During this period, kitchen appliances worth millions of rupees had been imported.

According to the data received by Republica from 13 different customs points, more than Rs 4.3 million worth kitchen materials had been imported. These materials were brought in through Tribhuvan International Airport, Mechi, Biratnagar, Jaleshwar, Sarlahi, Gaur, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Krishnanagar, Nepalgunj, Kailali and Kanchanpur custom offices. The items imported included pressure cooker, frying pans, plates, bowls, glasses, forks, ladles, spoons, mugs, knives, buckets, etc.

A handful of importers have said the materials were meant for Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Only a few have mentioned that the utensils were meant for the earthquake victims of Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Kavrepalanchowk, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha.

The organizations importing relief materials need to submit a report to the District Administration Office specifying the locations where the materials were distributed. But none of the importers have submitted their reports. "We have no idea about who imported the materials and where it was distributed," Home Ministry Spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told Republica.

The home ministry, which has kept the records of everything, including salt and water, sent by various donors, has no information regarding the utensils.

The home ministry in its report said that a total of 5,959,728 houses were destroyed in the recent earthquakes. And had the utensils been distributed properly each family would have received eight sets. According to records maintained by the authorities, 96,645 utensils were imported duty free from April 26 to May 3. Each kitchen set included two cooking vessels, five bowls, five glasses, five spoons, five jugs, five knives, five forks, five plates, a ladle and a scoop.

Apart from the kitchen sets, another 607,077 utensils were imported duty free in the same period. These included 68,000 plates, 61,000 glasses, 41,000 spoons, 122,000 buckets, thousands of jugs, mugs and bowls.

As per the details received by Republica, most of the relief materials were brought in by India-based organizations.

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