Godowns hoarding food sealed

Yadav Raj Joshi

KATHMANDU: Skyrocketing commodity prices have finally spurred the government into action. In a bid to curb the price-hike of essential goods, a team of government officials, police and consumer groups raided and sealed 13 warehouses owned by renowned businessmen storing foodstuff and grains here today.
“We sealed 11 godowns belonging to Kumud Dugar located in Jadibuti of Koteshwor,” said Kamal Bahadur Thapa, investigation officer, Department of Commerce. The team discovered large quantity of food items — 15 brands of edible
oil, five brands of rice, five
types of pulses and wheat flour and maida — in storage facilities in Jadibuti.
“The investigation is in progress,” said Thapa, adding that the exact quantity of sealed items would be calculated
tomorrow. The raids were carried out as per the directions
of a high-level committee headed by Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada. The committee was formed
yesterday.
The team also sealed the godowns of Pawan Traders, owned by Pawan Bansal, and Shyam Baba Enterprises, owned by Pawan Agrawal, in Kuleshwor. Bansal was found to be hoarding the largest quantity of pulses in Kathmandu valley. He blocked the supply of pulses twice — before the budget and after the salary increment of government employees — causing pulses to grow dearer by 30 per cent in a month.
In early July, pulses like rahar and mas were available for Rs 95 and Rs 80 per kg, respectively. On Thursday the pulses were selling at Rs 140 and Rs 125, respectively. The hoarding has made rice, flour and edible oil dearer by 22 per cent in a month’s time.
The move, however, has not satisfied consumer rights activists — they want more action. “All the 200 godowns of food grains in Kalimati, Kuleshwor and Balkhu should be raided,” said Netra Dhital, secretary, Consumer Rights Protection Forum. “It’s high time that
the drive against hoarding is
intensified,” said Ramchandra Simkhada, a consumer rights activist.
The team comprising Nepal Police, Kathmandu District Administration Office and DoC also visited fruit markets in Kuleshwor and fruit and vegetable market in Kalimati but did not find anything amiss there. “Short supply, not hoarding, has fuelled the price-hike of fruits and vegetables,” an officer involved in the raid said. The prolonged drought in Nepal and India could have hit the supply of fruits and vegetables.

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