September 22: With the festival of Dashain just around the corner, the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection has intensified market monitoring to ensure that the general consumers are not cheated during the festive season.

Apart from regular monitoring, the department has formed 11 different committees for the monitoring with special focus on the upcoming festivals. According to the spokesperson of the department, Hari Pangeni the market monitoring will focus on the festivals. He informed that a team of experts from various fields has also been formed for effective market monitoring.  

The team of experts will monitor the food market. Pangeni said that separate teams have been deployed to monitor weighing machines along with vegetables, fruits and clothes markets. According to Spokesperson Pangeni, a meeting of various departments and stakeholders on September 16 had decided to intensify market monitoring for the festive season.

Spokesperson Pangeni said that action will be taken against any shop found to be in poor hygienic condition. As the festival approaches, monitoring has been intensified at the district level. At the district level, monitoring has been entrusted under the leadership of the assistant chief district officer. All 753 local units have equal responsibility to monitor the market.

Spokesperson of the department added that the authority of monitoring has been delegated to the local level. He said that the administrative officer of the local body and head of the police units have been delegated the authority to monitor the market and take action.

“Currently, monitoring has been intensified across the country, there have been reports of effective monitoring from some districts,” he said. The department has said it is also monitoring the ticket fares in collaboration with the traffic police and transport entrepreneurs as there is the possibility of duping passengers during the festive season.

Pangeni further said that they have received complaints of stale and rotten food being served in hotels and high prices are being charged. He informed that a team of food experts has started monitoring in cooperation with the local police and administration so that the travelers are not cheated during the festival. Samples of food and other items obtained from monitoring will be tested in the lab of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control. Pangeni said that the office has set up testing facilities in 12 different locations. Similarly, the Department of Agriculture has also kept its labs ready for testing at any time.