Kathmandu, Oct. 2: In order to provide relief by selling essential items on discount to the consumers during the festivals, public entities have opened fair price shops in different places inside the Kathmandu Valley Thursday.
The Food Management and Trading Company Limited (FMTC), Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have opened affordable shops through their offices, depots, dealers and mobile shops in the capital and beyond.The consumers can buy essential items at a discount from the fair price shops until the Chhatha festival.
The fair price shops are opened in 16 different places in the Kathmandu Valley, including Kalimati, Koteshwor, Teku, Ramshapath, Satungal, Thapathali, Prayagpokhari, Jawalakhel, Surya Binayak, said Urmila KC, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
Outside the valley, convenience stores will be operated around 65 places, including Banepa, Birtamod, Biratnagar, Rajbiraj and Lahan, she said.
Besides, the FMTC has been operating online sales and the STC has been operating mobile vans to sell goods reaching people’s doorsteps inside the Kathmandu Valley.The public enterprises have been operating the fair price shops in the Valley for one decade in order to provide essential goods at discount rates and control the artificial price hikes by the traders during the high demand season as well.
Discount to the consumers
In the integrated convenience store, a discount of Rs. 5 per kg has been given on rice, Rs. 2 per kg on salt, Rs. 5 per kg on lentils and Rs. 10 per kilogram on Karnali beans.They are offering discount of Rs. 5 per kg on white peas and Rs. 10 per kg on ghee, Rs. 5 per kg on paneer, Rs. 5 per kg on sugar and Rs. 5 per litre on cooking oil at the fair price shops.
According to Netra Prasad Subedi, chief Executive Officer of FMTC, they were selling essential products through five places inside the Kathmandu Valley and 24 depots outside the valley.
He said that the FMTC would focus on online trading of essential goods to reduce the inflow of customers at the outlets.
“Consumers can order essential goods through online. We will deliver products without delivery charge as per the order on discounted rate to minimise the crowed of people,” Subedi told The Rising Nepal.
He said that the company would offer discount of Rs. 10 per kilogram on live goats which would start sell from Ghatasthapana.“We are discussing home delivery of goats using the online system. Our target is to reduce the flow of people at the places to purchase goats and other essential goods,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of Salt Trading Corporation Urmila Shrestha said that the STC was selling salt, sugar and oil, among others, on discount from its outlets inside and outside the Kathmandu Valley.
Besides fair price shops, the STC is operating mobile vans to sell the goods at discount rates in the Valley.She said that they would run the discount shops outside the Valley with the coordination of state and local governments and Chief District Officers.
risingnepaldaily
