KATHMANDU: The government has decided to take action against two contractors—Shailung Enterprises and Honiko Multiple Company— for failing to import fertilizers on time.
The incompetence to import fertilizers has created a shortage of fertilizers throughout the country during the paddy plantation season.
Farmers are worried that paddy production will be affected due to the unavailability of fertilizers.
As per the contract, the companies should import fertilizers before Sunday. As there is no possibility of bringing the fertilizers till that period, the Agriculture Inputs Company Ltd under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is preparing to take action against the companies.
Sources at the Agriculture Inputs Company said that they would initiate a legal process from Monday.
Both the companies had received tenders to import 25,000-25,000 metric tons of fertilizers.
The Agriculture Inputs Company had sought explanations from the companies regarding why they had not brought the fertilizers timely. They have been arguing coronavirus pandemic as a reason for the delay in import.
The government has drawn flaks for failing to provide fertilizers timely. Unable to cope with the shortage of fertilizers, the government has decided to borrow fertilizers from Bangladesh.
It should be noted that Shailung Enterprises is owned by Sharada Prasad Adhikari, the landlord of Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. Likewise, Humnath Adhikari is the owner of Honiko Multiple Company.
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