Fair price rice sale draws tepid response

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FE Report
The government Monday resumed distribution of rice among the hardcore poor at cheaper prices through fair price cards (FPC), but responses from people and dealers were lukewarm.
Under the programme, rice will be sold at Tk 24 per kg from 8.0 am to 8.0 pm six days a week.
Chief Controller of Dhaka Rationing Shaikh Roka Mia acknowledged only 48 dealers out of 320 in Dhaka took delivery of 250 tonnes of rice in the morning and started selling the staple at around 3:00 pm.
"Around 10 per cent of the 250 tonnes were sold on the first day as the people were not aware of the programme," Mr Roka Mia said.
He said that the dealers were not yet "prepared to take the delivery of rice as the decision was announced Thursday."
The FPC programme will be implemented through some 814 dealers around the country including 320 in the capital.
Md Fazlu Bapari, a dealer of Mir Hazaribagh, said he has deposited Tk 112, 500 Monday to buy 5.0 tonnes of rice, although delivery was not made.
The controller expressed the hope that the sale would get the momentum on the second day, because more dealers would join the programme.
"I think it will take a few days more to get the programme fully operational," he told the FE.
At present, 1.11 million people across the country have fair price cards and of them, 580,000 are enlisted within the Dhaka metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, food minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said initially rice would be sold through the FPCs but in the future the government has plans to expand the programme.
He said other essential items may be included on the list.
The FPC programme, launched on August 19, was halted due to shortage in rice stock.