Bajura, gaau najikkai khadh dipo ko maag. BAJURA: Residents of remote Bichchhyan and Rugin villages of Bajura have demanded that authorities to set up a food depot near their villages. Citing the long distance to food and salt depot in Kolti, the residents have demanded that the authorities set up a depot in Kawadi bazaar that lies on the border of the two villages. “It takes us about a week to reach Kolti just to get a fixed quantity of salt and rice,” said Nanda Bhandari of Rugin, adding “In Kolti 11 kg salt costs just Rs 99. We spend more than Rs 2,000 to get 11 kg salt. This is unreasonable.” According to local leader Krishna Budathapa, they have demanded that the authorities set up a food depot at a relatively near place, but their demand has fallen on deaf ears. “We’ve briefed the authorities about our concerns, but so far, there has been no action,” said Budathapa, bemoaning the plight of people in remote villages. Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Dhana Prasad Sharma Poudel said that his office had informed the concerned authorities about the locals’ concerns. “Besides the demand for the depot, I’ve also urged the food corporation to increase the quota of rice to this district to prevent food scarcity this year,” said the CDO.