DOLPA, Oct 30: With the Tihar, is in its third day, the shortage of rice to be provided by the government under the subsidy scheme has stolen the festive mood of the people of Dolpa. 

The country's largest district that heavily relies on the government subsidized rice has not witnessed the rice supply since the Dashain. 

Though they have been struggling to gain the subsidy rice for around a month, the depot of Nepal Food Corporation, the government body to distribute the subsidy rice, here said the rice supply into the district could not take place on time due to the negligence of a contractor. The depot has stopped the rice distribution to the district people citing 'no sufficient stock' as a result of a delay in transportation.

This has forced the consumers to pay higher price for the rice in the local market, said one Nar Bahadur Kathayat of Tripurakot. 

Rice had already been collected from Banke, Dang and Surkhet to supply to Dolpa, but delay in its transportation on the part of the contractor forced the Depot to halt the distribution, said depot In-charge Hari Prasad Joshi. RSS 

 
• tihar
 
• subsidized rice
 
• dolpa