Rice procurement drive to continue until Sept 15

Our Correspondent
SYLHET, Sept 08: The rice procurement drive for the division has been extended until September 15.
The authority concerned is now hopeful about achieving the procurement target, an official at the Food Department said.
However, the division's target is 53,168 tonnes while 40,353 tonnes had already been procured as yet through the millers, who had earlier contracted for supplying rice, an official in its Sylhet divisional office informed this afternoon.
Of the total 13,530 tonnes of boiled rice was procured against the target of 18,114 tonnes while 26,823 tonnes of Atap (non-boiled) rice are procured against target of 35,054 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the paddy procurement drive is about to get stumbled with only 1,177 tonnes of paddy purchased yet in Habiganj against the target of 3,000 tonnes while 5,816 tonnes in Sunamganj having a target of 7500 tonnes.
The two other districts of the division however, were dropped from the paddy procurement programme for unknown reason reasons, sources alleged.
On the other hand, the procurement is being done only through the contract millers while the food department decided paddy purchase only from farmers.
But, only the locally-listed farmers get the chance to supply paddy, an official said.
Some selected people are taking the undue advantage due to the political pressure and links with officials, alleged a number of middle class farmers like Anwar Mia of Derai upazila.
As the procurement programme couldn't be a successful one, the deadline was extended for two weeks.
Contracts were signed with the millers for the supply through 44 purchasing centres in the region, the official added.
Tk 37 is being paid for Atap and Tk 38 for the boiled rice per kg.
Regional Controller of Food, Sylhet, Md Anisuzzaman said the paddy procurement drive is hampered as there has been space shortage on the government depots. The situation would be a little better after this month, he added.
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