Local residents of Attariya have been protesting and locking down the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) office and milk processing factory in Attariya, Kailali, since Monday, after the office and milk processing factory in Attariya were shifted to Dhangadhi.

The DDC Attariya has said that the purchase, production and sale and distribution of dairy products have been affected after the factory was locked down. 

The DDC had signed an agreement with the Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City in January last year to relocate the office and factory in Attariya of Godavari Municipality. After the factory was moved as per the same agreement, the locals of Attariya protested and locked down the factory. 

The current factory is in the vegetable and agricultural produce market area in Attariya. The reason for the move is the monthly rent of 28,000, the physical infrastructure to expand capacity, the lack of stability, and the pollution caused by the factory being located inside the agricultural produce market, among other reasons, claims DDC Attariya Chief Niranjan Bhattarai. 

‘An agreement was signed with the Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City in January last year for a building constructed for the herbal processing center in Kanagari for 7,000 per month,’ Bhattarai said, ‘We had already moved the office. There have been obstacles in the process of shifting the factory. Bhattarai said that the place that Dhangadhi is going to provide has sufficient land and a comfortable building structure and the agreement has been signed for 25 years. 

Godavari Mayor Birendra Bhatta said that he did not know the inner reason for trying to shift the factory in Attariya. “This issue has become politicized. We have shown four bighas in Baskota for the factory and two plots in Attariya for the office, and they have also been approved,” said Mayor Bhatta. “Now if they move, I cannot stop the Union Government office.” 

The office chief Bhattarai said that the lockdown at the factory has affected the process of sending dairy products to the market. The DDC, which has 28 employees, including 12 permanent and 16 temporary employees, has collected 6,000 liters of milk from farmers in Kailali, Kanchanpur and Dadeldhura every day, according to the office. 

Attariya and Dhangadhi consume 1,000 liters of milk and yogurt every day. ‘We are sending four thousand liters of milk to Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Hetauda outside the far west,’ said Bhattarai. ‘We are purchasing milk from farmers at an average rate of Rs 65 to 80 per liter. In addition to milk, we are producing and distributing dairy products such as curd, mahi, paneer and ghee.’ 

Earlier, on 20th Jestha, the locals of Attariya had protested by locking the factory to Dhangadhi continuously for about four months till Bhadra 31, saying that the factory was being shifted to Dhangadhi. Local residents say that they are objecting to the relocation of the only government industry in Attariya. ‘This is the only government industry in Attariya. We object to the relocation of that too,’ said local leader Lokraj Pandey.