The Department of Supplies Management (DoSM) has begun special market monitoring in the Kathmandu Valley from Tuesday and said that it would book the traders involved in market anomalies under the legal framework. In its aggressive market inspections plan, the department has targeted to cross-check as many outlets as possible in the first stage of its effort. 

The department has categorised six sectors for inspection. Meat and grocery shops, slaughter houses are in the first sector. Second sector consists of transportation. The third sector comprises of gasoline and construction materials. Dairy products and bottled water fall under the fourth sector. Eateries, sweets and prepared foods are in the fifth sector. Pharmacies and medical clinics make up the sixth sector. 

DoSM Director General Kumar Dahal said the department had changed the modality of market monitoring to ensure quality service delivery to consumers. “Based on the types of sectors, six teams including experts of the concerned areas have been mobilised to ensure the effective market inspections this time,” said Dahal who is newly appointed chief of the department.

As per the department, the cross-check is being done in the respective outlets at the time of the peak business hours of their products. Dahal said the inspections were being carried out early in the morning. Meat products and vegetables shops along with medical clinics usually operate in the morning. 

In the first two days of its campaign, the department has cross-checked 186 business firms. During the inspection, many eateries were grilled for not maintaining proper hygiene standards, posing risks to the consumers. Meat shops inspected by the department were found to have lack of proper refrigeration system, poor hygiene, non-existent price lists, defective measuring devices and expired licences. The department destroyed huge quantities of the meat and fish from different locations of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts that failed the inspection.

Similarly, the market monitoring team also penalised 65 public vehicles for charging high fare to passengers. According to the department, the monitoring team in coordination with the traffic police charged fines of Rs5,000 to each of the offending transporters. 

Of the inspected seven petrol pumps, two including Chuchchepati Fuel Center, Kathmandu and Manju Shree Petrol Center, Lalitpur were found not maintaining the standard at their outlets prescribed by Nepal Oil Corporation. 

Likewise, a large number of drugs stores were found failing to issue the proper billing while selling drugs. Absence of licenced pharmacists and selling of unauthorised medicinal and cosmetic products were rampant in these drugs stores. 

Dahal said they would initiate legal action against the shopkeepers who were found guilty. “We have planned to regular follow up of these shops also in the second phase and if found guilty in the follow up, we will file case against them under serious public litigation,” he said.