Tk 10/kg rice card for the poor

Amid allegations over theft of rice meant for poor, the government has postponed the open market sale (OMS) and taken an initiative to issue cards for lower-income people across the country to sell them rice at Tk 10.

Under this programme, rice will be sold to those having cards in presence of officials from the local administration, law enforcers and local public representatives including councillors.

Law enforcers will also ensure that people buy rice maintaining physical distance to contain coronavirus transmission.

Only those who are not getting supports from the food safety schemes will only to be included under this new initiative, food ministry sources said.

Dr Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum, secretary of the food ministry, said they have directed the local administration to make a list and issue cards.

"People who will get the cards will able to buy monthly 20kg rice at Tk 10," she told The Daily Star.

A ministry order issued last week said lower-income groups -- like day labourers, rickshaw pullers, people from hijra (third gender) communities, industrial labourers, small businessmen like tea-stall owners -- will get rice at Tk 10 and flour under this programme.

And only one person from a family will get have this card.

The ministry asked the local administrations to compile detailed information of the card holders.

Asked how many people will be covered under this programme, the secretary said it is not fixed yet. But two tonnes of rice for a district town and three tonnes for metropolitan cities will be allocated for a day. 

And this rice will be sold three days a week -- Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday -- from 10:00am to 3:00pm. A card holder will be able to buy 5kg rice at a time.

"We have 50 thousand tonnes of rice for this programme. But we do not know how long we have to support people. So probably we will get more rice under this if this situation prolongs," the secretary said.

Asked about the alleged theft of OMS rice across the country, she said, OMS rice was not misappropriated much. Mostly the rice distributed for food friendly programme was theft, she said.

However, the secretary added, the government asked the local administrations and law enforcers to take stern action against those who are involved in this graft.

The ministry issued separate letters to law enforcers and district administrations to investigate the allegations of rice theft and cancel dealerships of those engaged in the misappropriation, officials said. 

Law enforcers since march 30 recovered a total of 281.5 tonnes of rice (5,681 sacks containing 50kg each) and arrested 43 people in 40 upazilas in this connection. Also they have recovered 6,480 litre soyabean oil in Rangpur, 18 sacks of sugar, 25 sacks of chickpeas from Narail.

The local administrations and police seized over six tonnes and over 260 sacks of government rice and arrested seven persons on charges of irregularities in eight districts since Monday.