Kathmandu, Sept 20: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) will step up market monitoring from next week targeting the upcoming festive season.
According to KMC, the monitoring was postponed by a week due to the nationwide Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9, but preparations are now complete to begin inspections.
Assistant spokesperson Dhruva Kumar Kafle said that Dashain, one of the biggest Hindu festivals, is approaching and market monitoring could not take place earlier because of the protests. “KMC only conducts market monitoring in coordination with central monitoring teams and security agencies. Since all government mechanisms were not fully back to work after the protests, the monitoring is now scheduled for next week,” he said.
The inspections will be led by Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol, who also heads the Market Management and Consumer Protection Committee. The monitoring team will visit Tukuche Vegetable Market, the goat market, Food Corporation’s fair-price outlets, and other locations, Kafle added.
KMC said that in previous years, its teams inspected supermarkets to check pricing, production dates, expiry dates, and maximum retail prices, and provided suggestions to traders. If irregularities are found or customers are cheated, fines and legal action will follow.
KMC also urged consumers to remain aware and cautious to ensure fair pricing and quality products. While it conducts surprise inspections throughout the year, regular monitoring is carried out during the festival season.
Earlier this monsoon, KMC regularly inspected drinking water jars and destroyed around 300 that did not meet standards. It also fined hotels and sweet shops a total of Rs 200,000 after finding substandard food items during inspections carried out in response to consumer complaints.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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