Dolpa – The Karnali Province Government has launched the food aid programme targeting the people of Dolpa who have not been able to collect herbs including Yarsagumba for the past two years. Many people in Dolpa supplement their living by collecting medicinal herbs and selling them to the traders.The Karnali government has already released budget to the local levels in Dolpa, the country’s largest district, to provide ‘food for development work’ programme.

The people here, who had not been able to pick up Yarsagumba for two years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, had complained that it was difficult for them to meet their daily needs and with the stopping of the source of income. Yarsagumba harvesting remains as the major source of income of the people of mid-western mountainous districts.
Province Assembly member Bir Bahadur Shahi said the food aid programme has caused a relief to the Dolpa folks who have been forced out of making money from the herbs collection due to the pandemic.

Under the aid, the people will participate in undertaking development activities at the locality and, in exchange, they will get food. Shahi believed that the programme would be beneficial for the people of indigent and Dalit community.
The Jagdulla rural municipality has been allocated the budget of Rs 2.85 million, the Mudkechula rural municipality Rs 3.82 million, the Tripurasundari municipality Rs 5.35 million, the Kaike rural municipality Rs 2.85 million and the Thulobheri municipality Rs 5.35 million to purchase rice from 550 quintals to 1,050 quintals to distribute under the programme.

Before this, the Karnali government used to grant permission for transporting 800 quintals of rice each to Shey-Phoksundo rural municipality, Dolpo Budhha and Chharka Tangsong in the Upper Dolpa.