UDAYAPUR, Nov 24: Even the shops in Gaighat, the headquarters of Udayapur district, sell expired goods which are rampant in the district. Following repeated complaints by the locals against the sale and consumption of expired goods, the District Administration Office (DAO) on Thursday conducted a market inspection. As expected, the monitoring team confiscated a huge cache of damaged and expired goods.

It was surprising that even the shops in front of the DAO were found selling oil, noodles, flour and drinks, which had expired long ago. During the inspection, a huge quantity of expired cooking oil (Dhara Company), biscuits, beaten rice, spices, chips and flour, among other goods, were recovered from the go-down of Sagarmatha Traders owned by Sakal Sah Rauniyar of Lahan. According to the team, the flour sold by the shop had bugs and the packets of cooking oil had expired a year ago.

Similarly, many shops were found selling low quality spices by putting the label of renowned spices. DAO had inspected grocery shops, sweet shops, dairies, and hotels and liquor shops. In comparison to others, grocery shops were found neglecting public health the most.

The inspection team which was led by Chief Administrative Officer Khemraj Thapa included officials from the Food Technology and Quality Control Division, District Police Office, Triyuga Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Small and Cottage Industry Development Committee, and Triyuga Municipality. The team destructed the damaged goods on the same day.

"Most shops that we inspected had expired goods," said Thapa, adding, "We have strictly warned the shopkeepers against selling or distributing such products from now onward." Sakal Sah Rauniyar, the owner of Sagarmatha Traders, has been told to present himself before the DAO within a week and reveal from where he got the fake labels of high quality spices to stick on the damaged spices of other brands.

Chief District Officer Bishnu Karki said that those who deceive the consumers and play with their health would be punished under Black Marketing Act 1975. He further stated that stern action would be taken against those who violate the consumers' rights.

 
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