KATHMANDU: A fair price shop established in Ghorahi, Dang, for the Dashain and Tihar festivals has seen a surge in consumer traffic. Operated by the Salt Trading Corporation Limited’s Dang branch, the shop has sold over Rs 2.75 million worth of sugar and salt in the first 20 days since its opening on Oct. 1 in Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City-15.
Branch head Rambabu Prasad Gupta stated that 4,808 consumers have purchased goods from the outlet. A total of 23,771 kilograms of sugar worth Rs 2.37 million and 15,755 kilograms of salt worth Rs 378,120 have been sold. The shop receives between 600 and 700 customers daily.
The items are sold at Rs 100 per kilogram for sugar and Rs 24 per kilogram for salt, reflecting a discount of Rs 5 per kilogram compared to market prices. Each customer is permitted to purchase a maximum of five kilograms of sugar and six kilograms of iodized salt. The shop remains open during office hours, excluding public holidays, until Nov. 17.
Despite the current offerings, consumers have requested that the government expand the discount scheme to include other essential food items such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, and flour. Sita Rawat, a local resident, noted that extending the subsidies to these items would provide significant relief to families managing their festival expenses.
