Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has intensified market monitoring in view of the upcoming festivals. KMC and the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control have started market monitoring. According to KMC, most of the small hotels and restaurants in the New Baneshwor area were found operating without meeting the standard.

According to Nurnidhi Neupane, chief of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, those operating against the law have been directed to come as per the rules. According to him, it is the duty of the entrepreneurs to pay attention to cleanliness as the infection of various diseases can spread due to a little carelessness.

Mayor Neupane said, “The metropolis does not want to intimidate the entrepreneurs by carrying out monitoring, everyone should not forget their duties and responsibilities. ’

KMC Food Hygiene and Quality Programme advisor Santosh Giri said KMC has now given priority to empowerment, monitoring and regulation. “We are trying to understand what the market is and what is the situation,” he said. We are evaluating how conscious the entrepreneurs are about food hygiene and quality. We encourage those who do well, remind them if they see weaknesses, warn them, and even then, those who disobey will be punished according to the law. ’

KMC has also directed the businesses operating violating the criteria to use only the specified items in the food license, pay special attention to cleanliness, follow food hygiene standards such as mask, apron and gloves, use dustbin for waste management, renew business registration on time and operate their businesses as per the standard. It has also been directed to be present at the metropolis with clarification as soon as possible.

According to KMC, the purpose of the monitoring is not to intimidate the entrepreneurs but to motivate them to operate their business in a clean, responsible and lawful manner. The metropolis has said that action will be taken as per the law if there is negligence in doing so.

Likewise, the KMC has stressed on the need for the entrepreneurs to be more responsible and provide service effectively as per the law as a small mistake of the entrepreneurs can have a negative impact on consumers’ health.