September 19: The government has opened fair price shops ahead of the major festivals of Nepal including Dashain, Tihar and Chhath. 

The Food Management and Trading Company under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has opened the fair price shops all over the country including the capital, Kathmandu. The shops are being opened to provide daily essentials for the customers at subsidized rates for the Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu said that the shops were being operated with the aim of controlling excessive price hike and black marketing during the festive season. According to the minister, the government intends to provide relief to the general public by giving concessions through the shops.

Minister Badu said that the main objective to run the fair price shops is to control price hike and to make quality food available in the remote areas. The Dairy Development Corporation will also operate a fair price shop. DDC has also made arrangements for online shopping.

Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Dr. Toyanarayan Gywalai informed that the government has stepped up market monitoring along with the launch of the fair price shops.

In addition to this, he informed that the arrangement of online sales has been arranged so that the consumers can easily buy food items. Gyawali also said that they will make full use of the available physical infrastructure of the state-owned companies to provide effective services to the public. 

The fair price ships have been set up at 45 different locations, including Thapathali of Kathmandu, Nakkhu of Lalitpur, and Suryabinayak of Bhaktapur.  Altogether 30 different types of food items are available at the fair price shops which will be operated until the November 1. The shops will be open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm. The FMTC said that a discount of Rs 30 on meat products and Rs 7 on other food items and oil has been arranged.