BDR-run outlets closed until June 9 as govt stops subsidy
Saturday, 7 June 2008
The BDR-run fair-price shops in the city remain closed for four days from June 6 (Friday) to June 9 as the government stopped subsidy on coarse rice catered by the paramilitary force from these outlets in the wake of price hike, reports UNB.
Official sources said the government decision forced closure of 75 outlets run by the troops of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) from Friday in the city.
The rice was sold at Tk 25 per kilogram at the 'Fair Price Outlets' under operation 'Dal-bhat', cheaper than prices in the overheated open market. Poor people were the buyers of this coarse variety of rice.
"We've suspended the outlets until June 9 as the government stopped subsidy on the rice sold at BDR-run outlets from June 5," BDR Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed said.
He requested the government to reconsider the decision in view of the present condition of the market as well as people's sufferings caused by the spiralling prices.
"We will reopen the outlets from June 10, but the price of rice will be increased due to the government decision that stopped subsidy on the rice sold at those outlets," he said.
Many people of lower-income group were seen returning home with gloomy and unhappy faces not finding the outlets open in the city Friday.
Bangladesh lost huge quantities of food-grains, particularly paddy, in floods twice and cyclone "Sidr' last year. Besides, the rice-price hike in the international market also cast an adverse impact on the country's domestic market.
The government signed deals with Indian companies to buy half a million tonnes of rice to make up for the deficit of rice production.
However, this summer the country has reaped a bumper harvest of "boro" paddy which helps stabilise the rice market.
"We have been able to harvest 17.6 million tonnes of boro paddy this season," Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed said in a function in the city Friday.
He said toiling masses of Bangladesh, including the poor peasants, had a tremendous contribution to the Boro production, for which this nation remained "ever grateful" to them.
The government is now procuring Boro rice from farmers at Tk 28 per kilogram.
Official sources said the government decision forced closure of 75 outlets run by the troops of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) from Friday in the city.
The rice was sold at Tk 25 per kilogram at the 'Fair Price Outlets' under operation 'Dal-bhat', cheaper than prices in the overheated open market. Poor people were the buyers of this coarse variety of rice.
"We've suspended the outlets until June 9 as the government stopped subsidy on the rice sold at BDR-run outlets from June 5," BDR Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed said.
He requested the government to reconsider the decision in view of the present condition of the market as well as people's sufferings caused by the spiralling prices.
"We will reopen the outlets from June 10, but the price of rice will be increased due to the government decision that stopped subsidy on the rice sold at those outlets," he said.
Many people of lower-income group were seen returning home with gloomy and unhappy faces not finding the outlets open in the city Friday.
Bangladesh lost huge quantities of food-grains, particularly paddy, in floods twice and cyclone "Sidr' last year. Besides, the rice-price hike in the international market also cast an adverse impact on the country's domestic market.
The government signed deals with Indian companies to buy half a million tonnes of rice to make up for the deficit of rice production.
However, this summer the country has reaped a bumper harvest of "boro" paddy which helps stabilise the rice market.
"We have been able to harvest 17.6 million tonnes of boro paddy this season," Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed said in a function in the city Friday.
He said toiling masses of Bangladesh, including the poor peasants, had a tremendous contribution to the Boro production, for which this nation remained "ever grateful" to them.
The government is now procuring Boro rice from farmers at Tk 28 per kilogram.