[caption id="attachment_71165" align="alignnone" width="820"] Photo: RSS[/caption] Kathmandu, September 15: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari has said that Salt Trading Corporation (STC) should make a strong presence in the market by making the supply of daily consumables goods easy. “The STC should focus on prompt intervention in the market for a reliable supply chain, adjustments to market prices and easy availability of quality goods,” said Minister Bhandari while addressing 62nd anniversary of the Salt Trading Corporation on Thursday. He emphasised that it should be able to establish itself as a trusted organisation of the people and the government preventing the shortage of consumer goods in the market. “The STC should convince the general public that there will be no shortage of daily essential commodities as STC is with me,” he said. Stating that the government wants the common people to get daily essential goods at a reasonable price and has adopted a policy accordingly, he instructed STC to diversify the business to deliver essential items even to the remote areas of the country effectively. Emphasising that the STC should always be alert to prevent the shortage of essential items, he said that they should be proactive in making the supply system of chemical fertilisers more convenient. Pradeep Lal Shrestha, chairman of the Board of Directors of STC, said that they are active in supplying quality daily consumer goods to people's doorsteps in an effective manner. He expressed his commitment to make every effort to facilitate the supply of essential goods in the market in full compliance with the instructions of the government. On the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of STC Urmila Shrestha said that the Corporation would take more initiatives to provide services to the doorsteps of common consumers by expanding the service and work area in the days to come. She informed that arrangements have been made for easy supply of essential items such as salt, sugar, oil, rice, flour, pulses and cooking gas, among others. “Along with the supply of daily essential goods, we are careful to supply chemical fertilisers and farmers on time as per the government's instructions. To fulfill the needs of farmers of chemical fertilisers and contribute to the development of the agriculture sector, we are importing and supplying non-subsidised fertilisers,” she said. She said that STC has been trying to construct houses based on modern technology and sell them to consumers. On the occasion, Laxmi Das Manandhar Child Welfare awards were provided to Manab Kalyan Samaj of Panauti, Kavrepalanchowk, recognising its active role in the protection of children. Similarly, certificates of appreciation were given to the employees who gave excellent service and scholarships were also given to the children of the employees who passed with excellent marks in the SEE exam.