August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.

Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal has ordered the four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).

The other members of the committee include a representative each from the Department of Commerce, health ministry and police. Among them are chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.

The committee will prepare a set of rules and other safety standards which the delivery persons will have to follow while delivering food and other items. The committee will also determine essential goods for home delivery.

Last Thursday, police had arrested 65 persons associated with the online delivery business from different parts of Kathmandu stating that the government has banned such service while the prohibitory order is in force. Police had also called the operators of e-commerce companies and warned them not to provide any kind of service.

Following the police crackdown, the e-commerce companies had submitted a memorandum to CDO Dahal requesting him to ease the restriction on their business. After receiving the memorandum, CDO Dahal convened the meeting of concerned authorities and decided to form the committee.

“If we allow online delivery without any safety measures then coronavirus will be transmitted to every households. Therefore, we will allow online delivery only after formulating a certain criteria,” said CDO Dahal.

Police intervention against online delivery had drawn widespread criticism.

Police had arrested the staffers of Foodmandu, Foodmario, Bhojdeal, UG Cakes, Pathao among other e-commerce companies.

The e-commerce companies complained that the police arrested their operators and staffers despite the government’s announcement to allow essential services like delivery of medicines, food, gas, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits among others.

Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, stakeholders of the e-commerce companies said that the police action was against the circular issued by the chief district officers of the three districts of Kathmandu Valley while announcing the prohibitory order.

Meanwhile, the police said that they took action against the e-commerce companies because they were not providing essential services.