The transportation of rice in the depots had been delayed after NFC declined to entertain the tender applications filed by transport entrepreneurs. The NFC had invited tender bids to transport rice to its depots at Chauka, Nayakbada, Dhogi and Dushhera VDCs in April last year. However, unsatisfied with the terms, the Corporation had called for tender applications again in August, 2014, rejecting the previous tender applications registered by transport entrepreneurs again.

Acting chief Ram Prasad Poudyal of the NFC branch, Jajarkot said that the reason impeding the tender process this year was beyond his understanding.

“The central office had supplied 550 quintals of rice via Himali Transport Services through special provision in September. However, nothing has reached the depots since then,” Poudyal said.

While the NFC warehouse at the district headquarters has 250 quintals of rice in stock, the depots in remote VDCs do not even have a single grain of rice. While flood ravaged VDCs, including Ramindanda, Sakla, Rokayagaun, and Nayakbada VDCs have been affected the most, locals of more than a dozen VDCs, including Dhime, Paike, Dandagaun, Ragda, Bhagwati, Pajaru, Daha, Lanhan, Garkhakot, Dushhera have been grappling with the crisis.

“The Dalits and economically deprived families living in Dalit settlement of Bayakada in Bhawati VDCs have been compelled to purchase rice at very high prices by borrowing money from moneylenders,” said local Dilli Bahadur Baniya of Ragda. A kilogram of rice can fetch up to Rs 100 in remote VDCs.

Despite the government’s assurance to provide subsidized rice to locals in the remote VDCs with low agricultural production, locals have been compelled to live through the problem since years due to the apathy of NFC to ensure proper transport and distribution of food grains. Although NFC has allocated 4,000 quintals of rice for the district headquarters and 800 quintals per depot, it is yet to initiate procedure to transport them.

Inmates deprived of food

Similarly, inmates at the Jajarkot prison have been facing acute food shortage due to the failure of NFC to supply rice.

“The shortage had been felt as the NFC warehouse only has three quintals of the specific type of rice to be supplied to the prison,” said Poudyal, adding that the remaining stocks were a year old. The NFC has been supplying ‘aruwa mota’ rice to the prison. Although the rice is of low-quality, inmates accused the government of feeding them rotten rice. The monthly demand of rice for the inmates at the Jajarkot prison is around eight quintals.