In the name of relief
KATHMANDU:
The Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCSM) has restricted distribution of refined vegetable oil with the brand name ‘Himalaya’, which has been received as relief support for earthquake victims, stating that the oil does not meet the mandatory quality standards.
The support sent by the United Arab Emirates based organisation — Khalifa Bin Jayed Al Nahman — had arrived in Nepal through the Embassy of the UAE in New Delhi, India.
The case of the vegetable oil was exposed after the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) tested the
It is yet another case of substandard goods being sent to the country in the name of relief.
Earlier this month, items like breads, noodles, biscuits and drinking water sent for earthquake victims from countries like India and Singapore were found to be substandard. On Tuesday as well, National Disaster Management, Monitoring and Direction Special Committee of the Legislature-Parliament found adulterated cooking oil with visible contaminants that had been sent by a non-governmental organisation in India.
“Based on the test report and direction of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, we have asked the Central Relief Collection and Distribution Centre, Thapathali not to release the oil,” said Hari Narayan Belbase, director of DoCSM. He said that cases of substandard relief food items had been an issue as the government has been accepting any and all items coming in as relief support.
According to Belbase, they had received 2,000 relief packets containing the oil, among other food items. Each packet sent by the UAE organisation includes two kgs of rice, sugar, Himalaya branded vegetable oil and wheat flour, among others, which is sufficient to prepare a two-time meal for a small family.
Owing to the huge loss from the devastating earthquake of April 25, so far, over 36 countries have sent various relief materials, including food items.
Meanwhile, after the cases of substandard goods were exposed, the government has also faced criticism for accepting the food items without properly taking information about the type, and their manufacturing and expiry dates.
“Accepting anything from outside the country without properly checking all relevant aspects of such goods at customs and distributing them means exposing the earthquake victims to health hazards,” said Bimala Khanal, a consumer rights activist and a member of Consumer Protection Council headed by Minister of Commerce and Supplies.
Khanal said that the government lacked policy on what type of goods to accept and compulsory quarantine checks in customs offices. As an immediate relief, earlier food items like breads and paratha were also sent to Nepal from India, which were later found to be substandard after DFTQC conducted quality tests. Some 1,000 packets of breads manufactured by Vaishali brand, Muzaffarpur, India were found to be substandard as they had crossed the expiry date.
Likewise, 1,000 kg of paratha sent through air cargo were also found fungus-laced. Koka brand noodles that had been manufactured in Singapore had also crossed the expiry date and a synthetic mango drink of Lapooz brand manufactured in Varanasi, India had microbes, according to Khanal
Source: THT
