Cooperatives go out of contact after receiving grant

DOLAKHA, Nov 11:

The government has failed to take any action against 100 cooperatives that collected grant amount of Rs 100,000 each but failed to open fair price shops as promised.

The government had provided the funds to 104 cooperatives through Division Cooperatives Office, Charikot, to open fair prices shops at different parts of Ramechhap and Dolakha five years ago.

Those cooperatives have neither opened fair price shops, nor submitted progress reports to the division office.

According to an official of the division office, the cooperatives have stopped submitting financial reports to the division office. Some had even taken financial support from the concerned village development committees (VDCs).

Of the 104 cooperatives that have taken grants from the government, only four have opened fair price shops -- two each in Dolakha and Ramechhap districts.

A local of Dolakha’s Dadakharka VDC said a cooperative in his area had even collected Rs 10,000 to 20,000 each from the board members. “But the chairman deposited the amount in his personal account,” he added. “No one dared to file complaint against the chairman. The division office is also not doing anything to recover taxpayers’ money.”

The government had launched the program to provide essential goods to general consumers at reasonable price. But influential people with vested interests took the fund in the pretext of opening fair price shops.

Source: Republica