Six trucks belonging to Khadka has been left stranded in Nepalgunj in lack of fuel. "It has been more than a month since I signed the contract. However, I have not been able to deliver food stocks as I do not have fuel required for the vehicles to transport the consignment to its destination," he said.
Khadka shared that he has not been able to acquire the fuel despite staying in queue for three days. "I am absolutely helpless at the moment. Unless the fuel crisis is resolved, I can do nothing."
Although the first quarter of current fiscal year is nearing end, NFC of Surkhet has not been able to supply rice in hilly regions citing fuel shortages caused by the ongoing Indian blockade.
The Surkhet chapter of NFC has been handed over the responsibility to supply food materials in Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, and Rolpa of Karnali zone as well as Dailekh of Bheri zone. The NFC has contracted 16 various firms to transport 26,250 quintals of rice in these districts. "The contractors have failed to deliver rice in those districts due to fuel shortage," informed Rewanta Rawal, account officer of NFC, Surkhet. "This will have severe effect in our quota system."
Out of the 8,783 quintals rice allocated for the first quarter of current fiscal year, only 1,330 quintals rice has been transported to Humla, according to the NFC. "We are able to send only 1,330 quintals and 10 kilograms of rice in Humla district. Of it we had transported 1,154 quintals of rice through airways," informed Rawal. The first quarter of current fiscal year ends after two weeks.
Stocks of rice used to reach depots of the five districts of Karnali zone and Dailekh district within mid October in previous years. At present, however, it is still uncertain when the rice will reach those districts. The contracted firms have been citing fuel crisis for their inability to deliver rice in those districts.
"We have been pressurizing the contractors to deliver food supplies to hilly district on time but they have claimed it cannot be delivered on the agreed time due to the ongoing
fuel crisis," confirmed Rawal.
Jumla and Dolpa face more food scarcity as there is no road access in those Karnali districts. Jumla has only 1,451 quintals food stocks remaining while Dolpa has 5,053 quintals foods remaining. Initiative has been taken to transport food items in those districts at the earliest, according to Rawal. "We have been facing lots of challenge to transport food items in those districts. We are looking for alternative ways to solve the problem," he said.
According to NFC, Surkhet, the corporation has signed agreement to supply 4,900 quintals rice in Humla and Jumla, 5,050 quintals in Mugu, 4,500 quintals in Dolpa, 3,400 quintals in Kalikot, and 3,500 quintals in Dailekh during the current fiscal year.
Similarly, NFC regional offices of Nepalgunj and Bardiya have also been supplying rice in those districts. According to NFC, food supply in all the hilly districts besides Dolpa and Humla are in sufficient amount. There are 3,800 quintals remaining in Julma, 3,716 quintals in Kalikot, 6,342 quintals in Mugu and 2,070 quintals rice stocks remaining in Dailekh.
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