1 crore families to get 10kg rice each free of cost during Ramzan

Staff Reporter :
The government has decided that it would distribute 10kg rice free of cost under the VGF (Vulnerable Group Feeding) programme among one crore families each.
Those families who are currently not receiving any form of government aid will receive this rice during the holy month of Ramzan.
“The VGF programme will start at the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan. Apart from this, our foodstuff distribution programme is currently continuing in cities, districts, upazilas and municipalities areas among low income people under OMS. The lower income people are now buying 5kg of rice at Tk 30 per kg and 3kg of flour at Tk 24 a kg from the Open Market Sales (OMS),” Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said this while talking to reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday.
The government also providing rice to 50 lakh families at Tk15 per kg under the Food Friendly Programme (FFP), the Food Minister said adding that OMS trucks are now carrying 500kg more essentials to meet growing demand of the people.
“More than one crore families are getting 5 kg of rice and 3 kg of flour under OMS programme throughout the year. So, we don’t think people will be embarrassed for rice in Ramzan. We are also thinking to give Atap rice that imported from Myanmar,” he said.
Sadhan Chandra Majumder said that the price of rice is currently stable in the market because of taking various steps by the government.
He said that the law to ban the sale of polished rice under different names and to name rice varieties based on the names of the paddy is under scrutinisation.
“The holy month Ramzan is knocking the door. The Food Ministry mainly distributes rice through rationing, Kabikha, TR and OMS programmes. The highest disbursement system has done since independence in the fiscal years 2022-23. Rice and flour are being distributed continuously through 2,500 dealers across the country,” the Food Minister said.
“Some 374,030 tonnes of Aman rice has been collected till Wednesday. Our target is to collect five lakh tonnes,” he said in reply to a query.
Sadhan Chandra said, “The ongoing global crisis has not affected Bangladesh in terms of food and it is likely to remain the same in the future. Besides, we are expecting a bumper Boro season.”
The Minister said that FFP will resume from March 1 and will continue till May.
Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, “Currently import is opened in private sector, but imported goods are entering very less compared to previous time as there is plenty of rice in the country now. Government stocks are also plentiful in silos. At present, the country have stock of 20,33,928 tonnes of rice.”