Finance Minister issues directive for paying dues to dairy farmers

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Finance is to immediately pay the dues to the dairy farmers.

Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has directed the high officials of the Ministry, including the Revenue Secretary Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire, to immediately take forward the process of paying the dairy farmers, according to the Finance Minister’s Secretariat.

The Finance Minister held discussions with Agriculture Minister Jwala Kumari Saha, Agriculture Secretary Dr Govinda Prasad Sharma and Livestock Development Secretary Dr Rewati Raman Poudel before issuing the directive.

The dairy farmers are on agitation since some months back, saying they have not been paid for their products. The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) had asked the Ministry of Finance for the amount to pay the farmers.

“The State cannot sit idly by watching the farmers’ pain as they have not got the payment for milk. The farmers’ dues would be paid today itself or by Sunday,” Minister Pun said, issuing the directive. He also made it clear that the Minister of Finance will not withhold the dues owed to the construction entrepreneurs.

Minister Pun has directed the Agriculture Minister and secretaries to have the budget dedicated for that purpose.

Revenue Secretary Dr Ghimire said that the Finance Minister has issued explicit directives for paying the dairy farmers and the Ministry will gradually pay the dues to the farmers.