Food Supplies Pile Up in Surkhet as Transporters Halt Karnali Shipments
Food grains and essential daily goods have piled up at the Karnali provincial warehouse in Surkhet after transporters halted shipments citing higher freight costs due to rising petroleum prices.
The warehouse of Food Management and Trading Company Limited’s Karnali Provincial Office in Birendranagar, Surkhet, is filled with essential daily consumer goods. Food grains meant to be transported to different districts of Karnali have remained stuck at the provincial office after transporters stopped shipments. Transporters responsible for carrying food supplies have halted the work, saying freight costs have increased following the rise in petroleum prices.
Karnali Provincial Office Chief Keshav Raj Budha said food transportation has been affected after transporters cited increased freight costs due to rising petroleum prices. He said transporters stopped the work because freight rates had not been adjusted. Food supplies are transported from Surkhet to all 10 districts of Karnali. In the Himalayan districts, roads are often blocked by snow during the cold season, so food transportation needs to be carried out quickly during this period in coordination with local levels. However, that work has now been affected. After the price hike, only around 30 percent of food supplies have been transported to those areas.