Sales of essential goods at subsidised rates by Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) continued on Wednesday with the customers standing in a long queue.
Though the beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with the drive, they said more allocation of essentials for each cardholder could reduce their pains of high inflation.
Nearly 10 million families will buy essentials from TCB dealer outlets and specific points set by the local administration across the country.
There were long queues of the buyers at several dealer points in city's Tejgaon area.
While talking to the FE, rickshaw-puller Shahjahan Mia said he maintains a four-member family. "It is difficult to meet the demands for essentials amid high prices of commodities," he said.
Hailing the government's initiative for the low income people, he said products at subsidised price have been a relief to some extent. "There is restriction for one cardholder to buy essential in a month, which is demoralizing," he said.
The government distributed around 10 million cards among low income people with the support of the administration and public representatives.
One beneficiary can purchase per litre soybean oil at Tk 110, one kilogram (kg) lentil at Tk 65, onion at Tk 20, and sugar at Tk 55.
A customer is allowed to buy two litres of oil, two kgs of lentil, two kgs of onion and one kg of sugar at most.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated the TCB sales on Tuesday.
He said the government would take stern action against people involved in any wrongdoings related to sales of essentials.
Essentials are no longer being sold through trucks as TCB halted its 'truck sales' to maintain discipline in sales activities.
Around 10 million cards were allocated among insolvent families across the country, of them 1.3 million families in Dhaka.
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