Rice prices go up in Rajshahi despite OMS
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Sept 29: There has been no impact of Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice in the markets of Rajshahi since the price of rice has not fallen. Rather it marked a rise during the last two weeks.
Though some poor and low-income group people are procuring rice from OMS centres, it is still beyond the capacity of most of the lower-middle and middle income group people to purchase a standard variety of rice from the markets for consumption.
Government started OMS of rice from September 9 throughout the country. In Rajshahi, the sale of rice through OMS started from September 11 through 36 dealers in 30 wards.
As a part of this sale, every dealer is selling 510 kilogram of rice to 170 people in every alternative day from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at a rate of Tk 19.00 per kilogram.
There having a tremendous demand of rice through the OMS centres, a huge queue of people at those centres is seen from the early morning but the stock often exhausted before 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, there has been no change or fall in the price of rice in Rajshahi and other adjacent districts even after starting of OMS for the last two weeks.
A salesman of Shaheb Bazaar 'Rakamari Rice Bhander' said, the OMS had failed to drag down the price of rice by any means. The price of all varieties of rice remained the same and some varieties of rice even registered a rise. He said, Minikate rice is being sold at Tk 27 to 28, BR-28 at Tk 24 to 25, the Parija at Tk 24 (old) and Tk 22 (new) per kilogram. The fine quality rice used for cooking Polao is also exorbitant and almost out of reach of the common people.
Fine rice Kalojira is being sold at Tk 54 to Tk 55 and other varieties of fine rice being sold from Tk 40 to Tk 45 per kilogram.
Sources said, the price of both common and fine rice might rise further before the Eid-ul-fitr, which would only increase hardship among low and middle income group of people.
RAJSHAHI, Sept 29: There has been no impact of Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice in the markets of Rajshahi since the price of rice has not fallen. Rather it marked a rise during the last two weeks.
Though some poor and low-income group people are procuring rice from OMS centres, it is still beyond the capacity of most of the lower-middle and middle income group people to purchase a standard variety of rice from the markets for consumption.
Government started OMS of rice from September 9 throughout the country. In Rajshahi, the sale of rice through OMS started from September 11 through 36 dealers in 30 wards.
As a part of this sale, every dealer is selling 510 kilogram of rice to 170 people in every alternative day from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at a rate of Tk 19.00 per kilogram.
There having a tremendous demand of rice through the OMS centres, a huge queue of people at those centres is seen from the early morning but the stock often exhausted before 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, there has been no change or fall in the price of rice in Rajshahi and other adjacent districts even after starting of OMS for the last two weeks.
A salesman of Shaheb Bazaar 'Rakamari Rice Bhander' said, the OMS had failed to drag down the price of rice by any means. The price of all varieties of rice remained the same and some varieties of rice even registered a rise. He said, Minikate rice is being sold at Tk 27 to 28, BR-28 at Tk 24 to 25, the Parija at Tk 24 (old) and Tk 22 (new) per kilogram. The fine quality rice used for cooking Polao is also exorbitant and almost out of reach of the common people.
Fine rice Kalojira is being sold at Tk 54 to Tk 55 and other varieties of fine rice being sold from Tk 40 to Tk 45 per kilogram.
Sources said, the price of both common and fine rice might rise further before the Eid-ul-fitr, which would only increase hardship among low and middle income group of people.