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Kathmandu, Sept 2: The government has begun preparing to operate discount stores nationwide ahead of the upcoming festivals. Starting from the end of Bhadra, on the 30th, the government plans to run these affordable stores nationwide.

These stores will be managed through the Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies. While discount stores are opened every year during festival seasons for the general public, this year the process has been slightly modified. The Food Management and Trading Company will now open sales of goats, sheep, and mules online. Previously, these animals were purchased from various company offices before being brought to market, but this year, online booking will precede delivery.

Ramesh Acharya, CEO of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited, told Lokanter that this online booking system will resolve previous issues where sales and distribution of goats and sheep were inconsistent. He emphasized that consumers will not face shortages or price hikes.

“We are preparing to operate discount stores at 111 locations across the country. Preparations are underway everywhere, and the company has sufficient stock of food items. We have opened online bookings for the goats and sheep that were previously brought in. Purchases will be made according to these bookings. This will solve past problems of unsold or overstocked items and supply not matching demand,” he said. “We have also started organizing the warehouse of the company in Thapathali, including repairing old walls and rebuilding collapsed sections.”

The condition of the Thapathali warehouse in Kathmandu is poor, with crumbling walls. Two years ago, mules stored there died from dog bites.

According to him, the company will operate discount stores in 111 locations across 45 districts until Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath. These stores will sell rice, sugar, oil, ghee, fish, pulses, and other food items at prices lower than retail, providing discounts to the public. In previous years, discount stores operated in about 63 locations across the country.

Meanwhile, Salt Trading Corporation is also preparing to run discount stores in more than 38 locations ahead of the festivals.

Since food consumption spikes during festivals, the government has been operating such stores in various parts of the country. For the current fiscal year, the Ministry of Industry has allocated NPR 25.2 million to the Food Management and Trading Company and NPR 38.699 million to the Salt Trading Corporation.

The Food Management and Trading Company currently has 186,508 quintals of rice and 9,000 quintals of sugar in stock. Salt Trading Corporation has around 16,000 quintals of sugar. Other food items are also adequately stocked, CEO Acharya said.

The company is giving priority to supplying food to remote areas like Dolpa, Jumla, Mugu, Humla, and Bajura, where stocks are placed a month in advance.

Discount stores operated last year until Magh (January/February), but this year they will run only until Chhath.

Items available at discount stores

All types of rice, sugar, beaten rice, pulses, oil, ghee, traditional Karnali products (Jumli Marsi rice, Kaguno, Chino, Tite Fapar, Uwa), salt, and livestock such as goats, sheep, and mules will be available.

As in previous years, discounts of 10–15 NPR on retail prices will be offered. This year, all rice types will get 5 NPR off per kilogram, sugar and pulses 5 NPR per kilogram, and oil 7 NPR per liter. Spices and traditional products like fapar, chino, and kaguno will have 10 NPR per kilogram discount. Live goats, sheep, and mules will also have a discount of 10 NPR per kilogram.

Locations of discount stores

The Food Management and Trading Company Limited will run discount stores in 11 locations across 45 districts. These include Jhapa, Taplejung, Morang, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Lalitpur, Rasuwa, Kaski, Tanahun, Gorkha, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Rupandehi, Banke, Dang, Bardiya, Khotang, Siraha, Dhanusha, Parsa, Kathmandu, Dailekh, Dolpa, Gulmi, Rolpa, Rukum East, Rukum West, Kalikot, Humla, Kailali, Dadeldhura, Bajura, Doti, Baitadi, Surkhet, Jajarkot, Jumla, Mugu, Bajhang, Kanchanpur, Achham, and Darchula.

Salt Trading Corporation will operate stores at 12 locations in the Kathmandu Valley: Kalimati, Satungal, Jawalakhel, Koteshwor, Sifal, Kapan, Balaju, Sallaghari in Bhaktapur, Kaushaltar, Kadaghari, Imadol, and Maharajgunj. They will also run three mobile stores.

Outside the valley, discount stores will be set up in Dhangadhi, Tikapur, and Attariya in Kailali, Belauri in Kanchanpur, Dipayal in Doti, Birendranagar in Surkhet, Birtamod in Jhapa, Biratnagar in Morang, Rajbiraj in Saptari, Lahan in Siraha, Janakpur in Dhanusha, Birgunj in Parsa, Hetauda in Makwanpur, Narayangadh in Chitwan, and Trishuli in Nuwakot. Additional stores will also operate in Kaski, Baglung, Bhairahawa, Krishnanagar, Dang, and Dadeldhura.

People’s News Monitoring Service