FE Report
The government is going to bring about a major change in its vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme, dropping about three-fourths of the listed beneficiaries from providing food free of cost.
"We are formulating a new policy guideline in a bid to charge a nominal price from around 75 per cent of the VGF card holders," said a senior official of the food and disaster management ministry.
Under the new VGF distribution policy, the price of rice has been proposed to be Tk 5.0 or Tk 6.0 per kg.
The government has issued a total of 7.05 million (70.5 lakh) VGF cards since April last.
According to officials, at least 5.2 million out of the listed VGF card holders will no more get food free of cost, but they will get the opportunity to buy rice at the aforesaid price.
On the other hand, free food will be available for the remaining 25 per cent or 1.76 million of the listed beneficiaries, especially for the ultra poor, distressed women, poverty-stricken people of the society.
The food and disaster management ministry is preparing a fresh VGF distribution guideline following a decision of its recent meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU).
One of the key objectives of bringing about such a change in the VGF programme is to discourage the existing begging menace, official sources said.
They also said the lists of families, who will get VGF support free of cost, will be prepared with the help of union parishad, upazila and district-level committees.
Necessary steps will also be taken to ensure transparency and accountability in selection of both categories of the VGF beneficiaries, said the ministry officials.
5.2m VGF card holders won't get free food
FE Team | Published: November 23, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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