Irregularities in distributing govt allocated rice

Public representatives of Sikder Mollik union parishad (UP) in Pirojpur Sadar upazila have allegedly collected Tk 100 from each of the beneficiary fisherman, who came to collect their compensation rice yesterday. 

Many of the beneficiaries alleged that Rafiq Howlader, UP member of ward No 5, demanded Tk 100 from them when they went to collect the compensation rice from the UP premises yesterday morning.

“As all the other beneficiaries paid the amount, so I had to pay the money for releasing the allocated 120 kilogram of rice,” fisherman Ruhul Amin said.

“Earlier, we never paid any money for the compensation rice,” said Mahar Ali, another fisherman from the union.

Altaf Hossain, a representative of Fishermen’s Association in the union, said the UP representatives have illegally collected the money from the fishermen.

A number of fishermen alleged that their names are not enlisted in the beneficiaries list this year though they were enlisted last year.

Asma Begum, wife of fisherman Rustom Ali, said though she received the compensation rice last year, her husband’s name has been dropped from the beneficiaries list this year.

Contacted, UP member Rafiq Howlader said they have collected Tk 90 from each of the fisherman for distributing allocated rice of three months.

Sikder Mollik UP Chariman Shahidul Islam said they took Tk 90 from each fisherman as carrying cost of rice from the upazila headquarters.

Mentionable, the government provides 120 kilogram of rice to each fisherman family during the ban period of catching jatka, hilsa fry less than 10 inches, from November 1 to June 30.

Under the program, 259 beneficiaries from Sikder Mollik union have been enlisted for the compensation rice this year.