Palden Gurung of Saldang says: 'Other rice is not available, even thick rice has to be bought at twice the price. As food rice does not come, we are forced to buy rice from the market to celebrate Dasain, even if it is due to debt.
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Jawahan Lama of She Phoksundo-3 in Dolpa barely has enough food for his family of 7 for 3 months. Due to excessive snowfall and inconvenient irrigation, only one crop grows in the village in a year.
There is a sales depot of Food Arrangement and Trade Company Limited in Saldang near the village. But he complained that due to non-arrival of rice, he had to suffer the high price. "We mainly need rice during snowfall and Dasain," he said.
Palden Gurung of Saldang said that when there is a shortage of food every year, Dasain is rough. According to him, there is an obligation to buy at least 100 rupees per kg in the rice market where coarse rice is available at 58 rupees per kg. "Other rice is not available, we have to buy coarse rice at twice the price," he said, "We are forced to buy rice from the market to celebrate Dasain, even if we have to pay for the debt because of the lack of food rice."
3 food sales centers in Upper Dolpa are now empty . Saldang of Chefoksundo, Dho of Dolpobuddha, Tingje of Charkatangsong have become empty due to lack of food. A quota of 700 to 875 quintals of food grains has been fixed in the food depots. In the absence of food grains, the locals are forced to consume rice transported to Khachhad by paying transport charges of Rs 50 to 80 per kg.
"There is a shortage of coarse rice every year, we have to buy fine rice for 2500 rupees per bag of 30 kilos," Gurung said, "now we have stopped relying on food, we rely on the expensive rice brought by traders."
Chairman of Chefoksundo Rural Municipality Torasamduk Gurung said that since last year's quota was over and this year's rice was not transported, there was a food shortage in the village. According to him, the residents of Phoksundo have not received rice during Dasain-Tihar in the municipality for 5 years. Last year, the company sent rice to the depot in Upper Dolpa only after November 17.
Bishnu Ghimire, branch head of Food Management and Trade Company Limited, said that because the contract was approved only a week ago for the current financial year, rice did not go to Upper Dolpa. "Tenders are made from the central office," he said, "We will know only after the contract is signed and the shipment starts." According to him, there is enough rice in other depots. There is 1,400 quintals of rice in the branch office Jufal, and up to 300 quintals of rice in Mudkechula, Tripurasundari, Kaigaon of Lower Dolpa. He said that up to 100 quintals of rice are being sold daily in the headquarters.
Food Management and Trade Company Limited has stated that rice is being distributed from 42 out of 51 sales centers and depots in Karnali. Keshavraj Budha, the provincial head, said that there are about 40,000 quintals of rice available in Karnali now.
