Fair-price shops come into operation across country

Fair price shops have come into operation across the country since Saturday. Public entities, with the coordination of the government, opened fair-price shops in various locations across the country on Friday to provide relief to the consumers by supplying essential commodities at a discount to people during the festivals.

The Food Management and Trading Company Limited (FMTC), Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have started operating discount shops through their offices, depots, dealers within and outside the Kathmandu valley.

Consumers can buy essential items at a discount from the fair price shops until the Chhatha festival. Minister for Industry Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu officially inaugurated the fair price shop at FMTC’s outlet in Thapathali on Sunday.

He called the consumers to purchase the essential goods from the discount shops inside and outside the Valley. “The aim of the fair price shops is to provide quality goods at a discounted rate and also control the artificial price hikes during the time of high demand of food items in festivals,” said minister Badu. He urged the public enterprises to run the shops smoothly throughout the festivals with the target of the government for providing relief to general people. Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr. Toya Narayan Gyawali asked the public entities to expand their service area to reach more people.

The fair-price shops run by STC and FMTC have opened in dozens of places in the Kathmandu Valley, including Kalimati, Koteshwor, Nakhu, Ramshapath, Satungal, Thapathali, Jadibuti, Prayagpokhari, Jawalakhel, and Surya Binayak. Outside the valley, convenience stores of STC and FMTC will be operated in 77 more places. The public enterprises have been operating the fair-price shops in the Valley for more than a decade with a view to providing essential goods at discount rates and controlling the artificial price hikes by the traders during festivals.