Secretary at OPMCM Shanta Raj Subedi had held a meeting with stakeholders at the prime minister's office following complaints regarding the quality of food items distributed by WFP.OPMCM also directed DoFTQC to test the quality of rice distributed by the humanitarian agency in Laprak of Gorkha and take necessary action. A couple of days ago, the District Administration Office, Gorkha had found that the rice distributed by WFP were rotten and inedible.
Meanwhile, OPMCM has also directed the authorities to check the quality of food items being distributed to earthquake victims by all other international and national donors and take action against them if found guilty.
Shambhu Koirala, director general of DoCSM, said the quality issue of food items distributed by WFP has attracted various laws, including Food Act, 2023, Consumer Protection Act, 1985 and Black Market and Some Other Social Offences and Punishment Act, 2032. "We will hold meetings with various ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to determine the nature of action to be taken against WFP," Koirala said.
542 tons of substandard lentils at WFP go-down
KATHMANDU (REPUBLICA): The National Disaster Management Monitoring Committee of the Legislature-Parliament found 542 tons of substandard pulses at World Food Program (WFP) go-down in Khujura of Banke district on Sunday. A three-member monitoring team of parliament headed by lawmaker Sanjaya Gautam found the stored yellow split peas rotten.
Speaking to Republica, Dal Bahadur Sunar, a member of the parliamentary monitoring team said, "Though a huge quantity of rice stored in the go-down was found edible, all pulses stored in the same go-down were found inedible." 'We have been investigating the matter."
The go-down owned by Cotton Development Committee is being used by WFP to stock food items meant for distribution to earthquake victims. The pulses were reportedly purchased from Turkey through an Indian contractor.
WFP, issuing a press statement on Sunday, said that though the rice warehoused in Nepalgunj was meant for distribution in earthquake affected areas, the yellow split peas were not intended for distribution as they had been rejected by WFP. "As WFP regional food technologist found these pulses not meeting WFP quality specifications, the director of WFP Food Procurement Division in Rome had cancelled the contract with the supplier," reads WFP's press statement.
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