Food Shortage Despite Adequate Stock?

While rice stock is lying unsupplied in the depots of Nepal Food Corporation's district, zonal and regional offices, people in the hilly districts in far and mid western region are facing food shortage.Locals say remote areas of Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa districts in the mid-western region are facing ... ...of food but the acting chief of NFC's Nepalgunj office Bijayamani Dahal said rice was delivered to the hilly districts but residents had not come to claim their quota of 10 kg rice per person.Rice is in stock in all districts of Karnali zone and in Nepalgunj and that consignments would be supplied once the stock exhausts, he added.Kalikot Chief District Officer Bed Bahadur Karki demanded supply of extra rice in the district, as the supplied quota is insufficient to meet the demand.Danha, Pakha, Chhapra, Odanaku, Sukatiya, Mugraha and Gola VDCs in Kalikot district are facing food shortage due to decrease in production of corn, Sukatiya VDC Secretary Padam Bahadur Shahi said.A villager, Namaraj Shahi of Danha-5, said 700 quintals of rice in the Padamghat and Khallagad depots were consumed last winter alone.The Seti zonal NFC office at Dhangadhi has a stock of rice waiting to be supplied to the hilly districts. Similarly, NFC district depots in Bajura located in Martadi and Kolti have a stock of 63 and 200 quintals of rice, respectively.The consignment of 300 quintals of rice meant for Martadi depot was delivered to Kolti depot due to road blockade. Food shortage has also hit Achham district, as two depots in Mangalsen were not re-established this year.NFC's Mangalsen branch has informed that 231 quintals of rice is in stock in Binayak and Kamalbazaar depots. Supply of 276 quintals of rice allocated for Mangalsen has been halted in Sanphebagar due road blockade.NFC's Chainpur depot in Bhajhang district has a stock of 790 quintals of rice and there is no food shortage in the district, NFC's Seti zonal chief Indrakamal Thapa said. Altogether 2,000 quintals of rice was delivered in Bhajhang this year only, he said.The NFC, however, has not established depots in the remote hilly district of far west Darchula creating food deficit there. The depots in Khandeshwori, Sunasera and Paribagar, which had to be moved out during insurgency, had been re-established.NFC Seti zonal chief Thapa said the allocated quota of rice had already been supplied and the present shortage is due to the NFC central office's decision to deliver rice in the rainy season.

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