GAIBANDHA, Mar 05 (BSS): The sale of rice at Tk 10 per kg started on Monday in the district as elsewhere in the country to keep the rice market stable and help the vulnerable group.
Sources concerned said the Department of Food is implementing the programme.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Gautam Chandra Pal formally inaugurated the rice sale activity among ultra poor families at Paathati of Tulshighat Bazar under Ramcha-ndrapur union under Sadar upazila.
A total of 117237 card holders selected by the department will get rice at a subsidized price through 192 dealers, said an official.
Under the programme, each of the card holders will receive 30 kg of rice monthly during the period from March to November this year, the sources said.
District Food Controller Amzad Hossain was also present at the event as the special guest.
The DC also asked the food officials and the dealers concerned to run the programme properly.
Talking to the news agency, Amzad Hossain said poor families headed by elderly women, widows, divorced or abandoned women and children will be given priority, according to the guideline.
In reply to a query, he said the Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice would also start in the district town on Sunday. Under the programme, coarse rice will be sold at Tk 30 per kg and flour at Tk 17 per kg.
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi, more than 0.77 million extreme poor families in all eight districts under Rajshahi division have started getting rice at a rate of Taka 10 per kilogram (kg) since Sunday last.
The selected card holders will get 30 kilograms of rice in every month through village ration dealers at a rate of Tk 10 per kg under the 'Food Friendly Programme for the ultra Poor.
Requisite number of village ration dealers has already been appointed at all unions of the division to sell the rice, said Md Muniruzzaman, Regional Controller of Food in Rajshahi. "We will distribute 0.23 million tonnes of rice through 1,329 dealers," he added.
The government wants to provide food support to the extreme poor families during the crisis period so that they do not suffer for food crisis. At the same time, the government's election pledge to decrease rice price at Tk 10 per kg can be fulfilled with the decision, he added.
For every 500 families, a village ration dealer has been appointed for distributing the rice smoothly while the widows and physically challenged people will get priority in the programme.
The food controller also said the rice selling programme at Tk 10 per kg will continue for two months of March to April.
The months have been selected in view of non-availability of work for the day-labourers, he added.
Simultaneously, Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice and flour has also been launched everywhere in the division. Some 108 dealers including 30 in Rajshahi are selling the goods.
He, however, vowed to take punitive measures against those who will engage in any irregularities during the programme.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Nur-Ur-Rahman welcomed the government decision for providing poor families across the country with ration card under social safety net scheme.
He expressed the hope that the initiative will help to reduce market price of rice and flour.
