The government is set to launch a month-long sales drive of essential items for around 10 million low-income families countrywide tomorrow (Thursday) ahead of the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan, sources said.
Currently, the state-run trading enterprise, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), runs the sales drive at subsidised rates every month.
State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu will inaugurate the first phase of the drive at ward no 30 on Darogahat Road in East Madarbari of Chattogram district.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury and Chattogram-11 lawmaker M Abdul Latif will attend the event as special guests.
TCB will sell soybean oil or bran oil, rice, gram and lentils except sugar during the drive. But the state entity sources said sugar will be sold if the item is available.
The government trading agency is trying to procure the same from local and international sources for the drive.
Each cardholder family will be able to buy 5.0 kilogrammes of rice at Tk30 per kg in addition to three other commodities in the drive.
Besides, a cardholder will be able to buy 2.0 kgs of lentils at Tk60 per kg, 1.0 kg of gram at Tk55 and 2.0 litres of soybean or bran oil at Tk100 per litre.
The TCB sales will also be coordinated in the district, upazila, and union council levels by the local administrations, including deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), following the list of beneficiaries.
An official said daily essentials are being supplied at low prices through the TCB. Smartcard distribution among the existing cardholders started on November 9, 2023.
All cardholders would get smartcards in phases, step by step, he said, expecting the rest of the smart cards to be distributed by June next.
He, however, said action would be taken if anyone is found involved in any kind of anomalies during the sales drive.
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