Residents of Byas rural municipality to get food grain by July 19

Kathmandu - Sharad Sharma The process to transport essentials to the residents of Chhangru and Tinkar at Byas rural municipality in Darchula district has started, cutting their dependency on bordering Indian and Chinese markets for the same. The local people have been dependent for ages on Indian and Chinese markets for goods.

The Food Management and Trading Company Ltd on June 17 has announced bidding for the supply of foods to the area by helicopter. At present 200 quintals rice would be supplied to 192 households of the villages, said Deputy General Manager of the Company Shree Maniraj Khanal, adding that the shipment would take place within July 19.

The supply is taking place as food supply from India and China has halted due to lockdown over COVID-19, he said. "In the past, local people of the villages depended on Indian and Chinese markets for foods. Now, food supply from these markets has been closed due to lockdown. So now, we are supplying foods to them," he said.

In this regard, a team including Deputy General Manager Khanal has left for Surkhet acting on directions by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta and the ministry's secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal. The respective rural municipality purchases foods from the Company and distributes to the local people at the rate set by the government. The Company had been supplying foods to Sunasera of Byas rural municipality.

Khanal said that the food stuffs would be sent to these places on a regular basis by establishing a sales depot. Chairperson of the rural municipality, Dilip Singh Budhathoki said that they have sent a letter to the company, asking to supply food stuffs after import of food stuffs from India and China has been stopped due to lockdown. The 100 quintals of rice brought by the company would be distributed to locals of Chhangru and Tinkar, he added.

The locals of Chhangru and Tinkar used to stay six months at the district headquarters and six months at their villages. Budhathoki shared that the locals were sent to their villages from the district headquarters with collaboration of India after the lockdown. He further said, “Locals of Chhangru and Tinkar started facing hunger after import of food stuffs from China and India stopped following lockdown.

So we urged the food company to provide food grains to the locals at subsidized rate.” Potato and buckwheat are the main crops grown at these places. The locals of Chhangru and Tinkar buy goods from Nepal and India and sell them at Taklakot of Tibet. They buy daily essentials they need from the amount they make after selling goods in India and Taklakot of Tibet. There is around 1,000 population in these villages.