(File photo)
Local residents of remote hilly Bajura district in the far west were compelled to go to India not due to famine but because they lack money to purchase food, a newspaper report on Monday said.

Earlier media reports said that people are fleeing to India due to famine, but the latest report said they are fleeing as they did not have purchasing power.

Nepal Samacharpatra daily quoted local teacher Man Bahadur Rokaya as saying that the earlier media report is baseless as people are facing problem as they did not have money to purchase food dumped at the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC).

“There is no food shortage in the district in governments statistics as they are supplying food, but they do not care whether people are able to purchase it or not,” Rokaya added.

Justifying the statement of Rokaya, Chief of NFC Dilli Raj Lamsal, said the news is baseless as they have sufficient food stock for three more months.

There is some 1,250 quintals of food stock in NFC branch office Martadi and Kolti food depot.

Teacher Rokaya said that people are facing problem due to money shortage so the government should formulate policies to increase income level of people rather than merely supplying food.