Locks lifted at Attariya DDC, farmers to receive milk payments from today

Dhangadhi: Milk payments to farmers will begin today (Wednesday) following the removal of locks at the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) administration office in Attariya, Kailali.

DDC Attariya Chief Niranjan Bhattarai confirmed that although the locks were lifted on Tuesday (Jestha 8), payments will officially start from today. He added that payment distribution will continue without interruption, even on holidays. In the first phase, Rs 1.5 crore will be disbursed to farmers.

While DDC still owes around Rs 6.5 crore in milk payments dating back to Magh last year, Bhattarai said Rs 1.5 crore for Magh will be cleared within the next 2–3 days, after which remaining dues will be settled gradually. DDC currently collects milk from Kailali, Kanchanpur, and Dadeldhura districts, sourcing from 59 cooperatives, groups, and agricultural farms.

According to Bhattarai, DDC collects 2,500–3,000 liters of milk daily from Baisakh to Asoj, and about 6,500 liters daily from Kartik to Chaitra. Although nationwide DDC payments have stalled, Attariya’s office was additionally paralyzed by a four-month-long local lockdown.

Locals had locked the DDC on Jestha 20 in protest against plans to shift the office to Dhangadhi. The lockout was lifted Tuesday after DDC’s central office assured locals it would not immediately relocate the branch. However, the administrative office had already been shifted to Dhangadhi during the lockdown.

A letter sent on Bhadra 29 by Acting General Manager of the DDC Central Office, Sanjeev Jha, instructed DDC Attariya to continue all administrative, financial, and production-related work at its current location until the relocation issue is resolved.

Following the letter, an all-party meeting on Tuesday morning decided to lift the lockout. The meeting was attended by Godavari Municipality Mayor Birendra Bhatta, DDC Manager Niranjan Bhattarai, members of the DDC Sangharsh Committee, political representatives, and locals. Sangharsh Committee Coordinator Lok Raj Pandey said the meeting resolved to release farmers’ payments before Dashain and to allocate land for the long-term management of DDC as per Godavari Municipality’s commitment.