Kathmandu, Jan. 31: His Majesty’s Government has been facing strong criticism from the people of the remote hilly and himalayan districts and their representatives because of its decision to remove some foodgrain depots from those areas.

They are demanding the retaining of existing depots until some alternative arrangement is made as their removal might cause starvation in a region that faces a foodgrain crisis every year.

On december 31, 1999, hmg had in connection with implementation of organisational reform at the Nepal food corporation (nfc), decided to remove 67 out of its 135 food depots and branch offices on the recommendation of the task force constituted for implementation of the reforms. Of them five are zonal offices, 26 branch offices and 36 sales depots.

There was a provision for organisational consolidation of the nfc in order to receive a second installment under the second agricultural loan programme agreement concluded between hmg and the asian development bank in 1998. Hmg had as per the same provision formed a ten member task force under the convenorship of a special secretary at the ministry of supplies on mangsir 20, 2055.

The task force has re-catagorised the remote districts on the basis of transportation facilities, foodgrain production and availability, per capita income, nfc transportation subsidies in the past and classification of various bodies.

Whereas the nfc had since its founding been distributing foodgrain to 38 districts it regarded as remote districts, the task force has only classified 12 districts as such. These are Humla, Mugu, Bajhang, Jumla, Dolpa, Manang, Bajura, Kalikot, Mustang, Darchula, Solukhumbu and Rukum.

Similarly, Achham, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Sankhuwasabha, Baglung, Okhaldhunga, Bhojpur, Khotang, Gorkha, Dhading and Panchthar districts have been classified as partially remote.

The task force has said there is no need to distribute subsidised foodgrain regularly to districts producing 80 per cent or more of the local need.

In view of this classification, the 18 districts of Dhading, Jajarkot, Ramechhap , Taplejung, Okhaldhunga, Sankhuwasabha, Myagdi, Ilam, Rukum, Panchthar, Gorkha, Parbat, Salyan, Khotang, Sindhuli, Bhojpur, Dhankuta and Terhathum have been accorded less priority as per the foodgrain production there.

Similarly, Rasuwa, Gulmi, Parbat, Taplejung, Dhading, Solukhumbu, Pyuthan, Dhankuta and Baglung have also been given less priority by the task force in view of the strong purchasing power of the local people whose annual per capita income is rs 7,000 or more.

The hmg had in the eighth plan supplied 65,189 metric tonnes of foodgrains in 38 districts and provided rs 733,600,000 as transportation grant and rs 207,000,000 interest grant. This means that more than rs 180,000,000 was spent annually on foodgrain transportation.

In fy 055/56 b.S., Rs 120,900,000 in transportation grant was allocated in the five districts of karnali zone alone.

The government has followed the policy of launching local foodgrain production programmes after reducing the foodgrant grants for the remote districts. Its argument is that distribution of foodgrain through such grant has increased the tendency of local people to remain always dependent rather than to work for themselves. Therefore they had to be inspired towards local production.

But the people’s representatives have been criticising the government’s logic and the task force report describing them as random and not based on an objective study of the districts.

Cpn-uml mp nar Bahadur budhathoki representing dolpa district says the government decision is inhumane and lacking in farsightedness.

Disagreeing with the government logic, he says money is needed to buy the foodgrain and if people cannot manage with their own production, who will remain idle without working ?

he says the local residents are ready to transport grain for rs 30/32 a kg from the tibetan border north of dolpa where trucks can reach from lhasa. It is better to remove the depots after making alternative arrangements. Otherwise it is natural for the local people to express resentment, he adds.

Ruling party mp palten gurung representing manang district says the depots in the remote districts which are yet to be connected with motorable roads should be retained.

He said he argued at the nc parliamentary party that he will rather resign if the humde depot used by the people of 8 VDCs in his district is not retained. Land in that district is cultivable only six months in the year and is covered with snow for the other six.

But cpn-uml mp chandra Bahadur shahi representing mugu district says it is not good to remove the depots, but it doesn’t make any difference the srikot depot which is in an inappropriate place is removed. It would have been better if it had been placed at the centre.

The government says only those depots which were improperly located and were rarely used are being removed. And one thing is clear, depots have been removed even from the districts and constituencies of government ministers.

Rpp mp representing jajarkot district govind bikram shaha says it is sad that depots have been removed at a time when demands for foodgrain in the remote districts have been increasing and informed that the parliamentary committee for foreign affairs and human rights has also directed hmg not to enforce the decision.

He says the representatives of concerned districts are hopeful that the depots will be retained in view of the growing pressure on the government.

The public accounts committee of the house of representatives has also directed the government to reconsider the decision to remove the depots.

Mp of the rastriya janmorcha navaraj subedi says the people are angry because a facility in use for years has been curtailed without any alternative, and they demand withdrawal of the decision.

He says in a country where foreign loans and assistance amount to rs 22-23 billions, it is not justifiable to curtail a facility under which people get one or two kilograms of foodgrain.

But hmg has says that arrangements have been made so that no situation of foodgrains shortage will arise despite removal of the depots.

Minister for supplies prakash man Singh has said that 25,000 metric tonnes of foodgrain have been allocated for a relief programme besides a reserve of 40,000 metric tonnes held at national foodgrain reserve depots in ten places in the kingdom in order to face any possible famine and added that the government is ready to launch special programmes if needed.

It is clear to all that the government has been making supply arrangements in the remote areas by providing two or three times the price of the foodgrains as transportation grant. But we can’t negate the possibility of a famine situation in the remote areas occuring time and again. Therefore the government should make the supply system transparent and strong so as to reach the general public of the remote areas.