KATHMANDU, SEP 19 - Why on earth the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) rushes to airlift foodstuffs to remote districts right before Dashain and not before?
Rajendra Mahato, the longtime Minister for Commerce and Supplies, offered the answer at an interaction in the Capital on Friday. He said parliamentarians pressure the state-owned utility to charter flights in the lead-up to the festival so that they can make it to their home districts along with food.
"The parliamentarians want us to believe that their motive is to feed people," Mahato said. "Being the supply minister for a few years, I know about the parliamentarians motive."
Mahato said the ministry had already directed the utility to supply enough food to food-deficit districts. According to the minister, Kalikot has placed demand for 1000 metric tonnes of rice, Bajura 1000MT and Humla 750MT. Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Darchula have demanded 800 MT, 900MT, 1500MT and 150MT, respectively. "The demands might go up the next day," Mahato said.
The minister conceded that the NFC had failed to supply foodstuffs to several districts for want of helicopters. "We are thinking about requesting the Nepali Army (NA) to help us airlift foodstuffs," the minister said.
But there is a hitch. The NA charges as high as Rs. 26,000 for one-time supply via its chopper, whereas a private chopper operator, selected through competitive bidding, charges Rs. 1,800 for the same, according to Mahato. Mahato went on to say that the government was committed to supplying food at the earliest through all possible means.
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