The festival season gets underway with high prices, low footfall and weak price monitoring

The government lacks adequate competent personnel to conduct regular market inspection, say officials.

Jiwan Thapa Magar, a retailer in Khare, Dakshinkali Municipality, had brought two sacks of mixed beans expecting good festival sales during Janai Purnima, but he barely sold one. In previous years, he used to sell four-five sacks of the beans which are used to make a special soup consumed during the festival.