SYLHET, Oct10: Dealers of the four districts in the division have already received their deliveries of rice for October to sell the essential commodity among the ultra-poor at Tk 10, officials at the Food Department informed on Tuesday.
As many as 243,724 poor people, listed under the programme in Sylhet division, official sources informed. It includes 30,713 in Sylhet, 43,377 in Moulvibazar, 78,044 in Habiganj and highest 91,590 in Sunamganj.
A card holder can buy 30 kg rice at the rate of Tk 10 per kg per month.
Since the month of September, the dealers had taken 12,956 tonnes of rice, of which they had already sold 9,661 tonnes among the listed people in the division till Tuesday last.
With the government's order for lisitng ultra poor for selling the low-cost rice, the job was done in a hurry through the union parishad chairmen and members in last year.
But, on the basis of media reports and complaints from different quarters we came to know about inclusion of a good number of well-to-do persons while more than one person was included from same family, in violation of government policy in many places, informed Regional Controller of Food, Sylhet division, Md Anisuzzaman.
On investigation, about 30,000 inappropriate names were dropped in phases, the official said.
Besides, the dealerships of 12 rice traders were cancelled on charge of different irregularities in the programme in different areas in Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts. Some of them however were sued.
Besides, Actions were taken in a number of specific cases of irregularities in rice selling, the official informed.
The government had launched the programme last year for five months, considered as lean period.
The months are: September, October, November and March and April.
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