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Kathmandu,Wednesday January 19, 2000 Magh 5th, 2056.
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NFC sends 200 quintals low
quality flour to Pokhara
-By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - Nepal Food Corporation (NFC)
has supplied 200 quintals of flour to Pokhara for sale today, which insiders say is not
fit for consumption.
A major portion of the flour supplied to Pokhara
was stored at the Kathmandu Zonal Office of NFC, which had turned hard due to months of
storage and humid climatic conditions. Eyewitnesses claim that the flour which has set was
powdered first and then a major portion of it was sent to Pokhara.
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, on condition of
anonymity, an employee at the NFC said, “The flour supplied to Pokhara is not fit for
human consumption. Blocks of hard turned flour was taken out of sacks, the outer portion
of the flour block was scrapped, and then powdered, before sending it to Pokhara.”
However, NFC officials at the zonal office refuted
the allegations.
Zonal Manager Murari Prasad Adhikari too accepted
that some sacks of flour had set but claimed that it was fit for consumption after being
powdered. He elaborated that hardening of flour was natural since sacks are stacked and
exposed to humid conditions.
Food technician at the office, Indra Sitaula said,
“The flour has been sent only after quality test. It well falls within the criteria
for consumption.” However, the officials denied providing this reporter with the
quality test report of the flour sent to Pokhara.
In the meantime, complaints have also come that
sacks of flour supplied by the zonal office, which should be 79 kilograms (kgs) each,
underweigh by 4-5 kgs.
The flour stored in Thapathali and Nakhhu godowns
in Kathmandu, was purchased from Birgunj, Bhairawaha, Biratnagar, Hetauda, Janakpur and
even from Kathmandu itself starting almost 7 months ago when almost 3000 quintals of flour
was in the godown.
A total of about 20500 quintals was purchased in
this period and about 15000 quintals sold. According to statistics about 8500 quintals of
flour stock is lying in the office godowns presently.
Intially flour sold well in the market. However the
flour stock started rising in the Kathmandu zonal office godown, when NFC started
pressurizing dealers to buy low quality fine rice, imported from India, along with the
flour.
At a time when NFC has decided to indulge in
commercial activities, many questioned the action of the corporation when it sent 200
quintals of flour to Pokhara involving unnecessary transportation cost from Mungling to
Kathmandu and back.
However, this action of the corporation was
defended by the officials saying it was undertaken to fulfill the demand of flour in
Pokhara.
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