Subsidised rice stored at the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) godown in Gamgadhi, the district headquarters of Mugu, has started rotting.

Around 5,700 quintals of rice have been kept at the godown for the past one year. Though the whole country is reeling under the acute shortage of daily essentials, the rice could not be used during the blockade.

NFC chief in the District, Tek Prasad Regmi, said the stored subsidised rice has started rotting. “There is sufficient amount of rice in the store,” said Regmi, adding that they could not sell it during the Indian blockade.

Locals in district headquarters stopped purchasing the rice as foodstuffs were easily available in local bazaar. Though the rice has been kept for a year, people in remote villages have been deprived of foodstuffs as the NFC could not send the subsidised rice to its depots at Soru, Pulu and Shreekot in the district. People in Photu, Nathurpa, Jima, Bhihi and surrounding VDCs have been reeling under the shortage of foodstuffs for the past two months due to severe drought.

As the contractors delayed supply of the foodstuffs to NFC depots in remote areas, the stored rice could not be used and thus started rotting. The NFC officials blamed contractors for the delay.