50 lakh families to get rice at Tk15 per kg from 1 Mar

Staff Reporter :
The government has decided to provide 30 kg rice per family at Tk 15 per kg from March 1, among 50 lakh families under its food friendly progamme.
“Open Market Sale (OMS) is an ongoing programme. It will continue as long as there is demand for it in the country. If necessary, it will continue throughout the year. Both rice and flour will be provided under the programme,” Food Minister Sadhan Chandar Majumder said on Sunday.
According to the Food Minister, the food stock in government warehouses has exceeded all previous records as Bangladesh currently has more than 21 lakh tonnes of food stock against the safety stock requirement of 10 lakh tonnes.
He, however, said that the government is now distributing around 14,000-15,000 tonnes of rice and flour per day across the country and other food assistance programmes (Kabikha, VGF, TR) will also run alongside OMS.
‘So there is nothing to panic about. There will be no food shortage in the country,’ the Food Minister added.
Though OMS is not a year-long programme, he said adding that it was undertaken so that low-income people would not suffer to get their foodstuffs.
Considering peoples suffering, the government is still running the OMS programme, the Food Minister said while speaking to the media after inspecting an OMS programme at Naogaon’s Atapotti and Rubir Mor area.
“What we want to see is whether people are getting the benefit and whether any dealer is smuggling. For this reason, inspection and monitoring will continue on a regular basis,” he added.
The Minister issued a warning to the traders not to stockpile food items for financial gain at the expense of the people.
“New laws are being enacted soon. So, don’t (traders) try to push the people into problems. Cases have already been filed against many groups. Surveillance has been increased,” he said.
Rajshahi Regional food controller GM Farooq Hossain Patwar and Naogaon District food controller Alamgir Hossain were among the officials present.
Meanwhile, the people who came to collect food items under the programme, said that the allocation is less than the demand.
However, the minister assured the people that their problems would be taken into account.
The government will do whatever needed for the people, the Food Minister said adding that initiatives have also been taken ahead of holy month of Ramzan too.