Poors` low cost rice helping politically influential ones

THE low cost rice for the poor that the government has put on sale recently at Tk 10 per kg is disappearing from dealers shop and distribution channel and making way to black market. News report highlighted a nexus between local ruling party leaders and dishonest rice dealers for secretly selling the rice to make illegal fortune instead of reaching the rice to registered beneficiaries in their respective localities.

The highly subsidized rice under the low cost distribution programme targets 50 lakhs extreme poor families for several months of the years covering the lean period is no doubt a good programme as an idea. Poor needs support, particularly in the lean period when income-earning facilities largely shrink but the poor can’t buy rice at such exorbitant price in the market.

But as it appears this good initiative has already lost its direction as ruling party men started misusing the programme in connivance of local dealers, most of them appear to be leaders of party’s various front organizations and local bodies. Questions have already arisen whether party representatives of the local bodies have made proper list of the poor recipients neutrally who would get 30 kg rice monthly at low cost and there is also no such other flaws in the list to misappropriate the rice. The government would lose at least Tk 27 as subsidy for per kg rice and its selling in black market will bring enormous cash benefits to the party men that they have already started.

News report said police have seized several tonnes of rice in different parts of the country and arrested dozens of dealers. They are reportedly local Awami League leaders from various levels. Allegations also galore that local dealers are not selling rice weighing through digital scale, they are using buckets. At other places fake names or family beneficiaries are taking the bulk of rice. District Administrations at some places have already cancelled several dealerships but the question is that how the government will plug the road to black market as the local administration has little control over the local party operatives. Many fear that the big programme may be used by local party men as a big way to minting fortune.
In most cases, low cost rice is being used by politically influential ones for selling in black market. It is sad to see the government is unable to control its own people. A government without control is good for anarchic forces.