Fair price shops from September 15

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 3: The government is preparing to operate fair price shops in different parts of the country to stop black marketing and arbitrary rise in the price of essential goods during festivals.

As the festivities, including Dashain, Tihar and Chhath approaching, the government has decided to set up fair price shops more than four dozen districts, including the Kathmandu Valley from September 15.

A ministerial level meeting held recently decided to operate fair price shops from September 15 until the upcoming Chhath festival.

Fair price shops that are scheduled to open from September 15 to Chhath festival across the country aim to provide relief to the general people by offering essential goods at discounted rates, according to Ministry of Industry of Commerce and Supplies.

The public enterprises - Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) and Salt Trading Corporation (STC) - will run the fair price shops with the coordination of the Ministry.

The FMTC will run fair price shops in its more than 100 outlets of 45 districts and STC will also run fair prices from its outlets across the country.

The entities will sell essential goods, especially rice, pulses, oil, sugar, salt and flour at discounted rates almost for one and a half months. The fair shops will continue until Chhath (October 27, 2025).

Through the fair price shops, the Food Management and Trading Company will sell all types of rice, wheat grains, sugar and pulses at a discounted price of Rs. 5 per kilogram. Likewise, FMTC will office discount of Rs. 7 per kilogram for beaten rice and flour.

Similarly, the FMTC will sell cumin, coriander, tea leaves and live goats at a discounted price of Rs. 10 per kilogram.

The government has made arrangements to provide a discount of Rs. 7 per litre on mustard oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil, and Rs. 10 per kilogram on Karnali beans and buckwheat seed, chino, kaguno, uwa and Jumli marsi rice.

Similarly, the Salt Trading Corporation has made arrangements to provide a discount of Rs. 2 per kilogram on salt, Rs. 5 per kilogram on sugar, and Rs. 7 per kilogram each on oil, flour and pulses.

The STC will operate fair price shops in Kalimati, Satungal, Jawalakhel, Koteshwor, Sifal, Kapan, Balaju Sallaghari, Kaushaltar, Kadaghari, Imadol and Maharajgunj in Kathmandu valley.

Similarly, the STC will also operate these mobile shops to make ease for the consumers to purchase essential goods at discounted rates.

Similarly, outside the valley, STC will operate fair price shops in Dhangadhi, Tikapur and Attariya in Kailali, Belauri in Kanchanpur, Dipayal in Doti, Surkhet, Birtamod in Jhapa, Biratnagar in Morang, Rajbiraj in Saptari, Lahan in Siraha, Janakpur in Dhanusha, Birgunj in Parsa, Hetauda in Makawanpur, Narayangadh in Chitwan, and Trishuli in Nuwakot.

Similarly, the government has made preparations to operate such shops in Pokhara in Kaski, Baglung, Bhairahawa in Rupandehi, Krishnanagar in Kapilvastu, Dang and Dadeldhura. On the other hand, the FMTC will operate fair price shops in 45 districts. 

Accordingly, such fair price shops will be operated in Jhapa, Taplejung, Morang, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Lalilpur, Rasuwa, Kaski, Tanahun, Gorkha, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Rupandehi, Banke, Dang, Bardiya, Khotang, Siraha, Dhanusha, Parsa, Kathmandu, Dailekh, Dolpa, Gulmi, Rolpa, Rukum East, Rukum West, Kalikot, Humla, Kailali and Dadeldhura.

Similarly, the Food Management and Trading Company is preparing to operate fair price shops in Bajura, Doti, Baitadi, Surkhet, Jajarkot, Jumla, Mugu, Bajhang, Kanchanpur, Achham and Darchula.