The government will distribute rice to more than 11 lakh urban poor, who were issued fair price cards, at a subsidised rate of Tk 24 per kilogram from today.
The Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque announced this at a press briefing at his city office yesterday.
"Each cardholder would be able to buy up to 20 kgs of rice every month from the government-appointed dealers at this rate," the minister told the reporters.
The programme, meant for the urban poor having no permanent or fixed income source, would be operated at all the divisional and district towns. It would continue until the harvest of Aman paddy in December, he noted.
The food minister said, of the total 11.18 lakh beneficiaries selected across the country under this scheme, 5.80 lakh are from the capital city.
The government took the step to combat the price rise of essentials, especially of rice and flour, he said.
Coarse rice now sells at Tk 31-33 per kg, which is a 45 percent price rise in a year, while fine rice sells at a 20 percent increased rate of Tk 36-48 per kg, showed Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sources.
Besides, whole wheat flour (atta) now sells at a 47 percent increased price of Tk 27-32 per kg and quality flour (maida) sells at a 20 percent increased price of Tk 33-38 per kg, TCB sources said.
Abdur Razzaque said the government is also sorting the list of around one crore people enjoying benefits under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme.
A symbolic price of Tk 10-12 per kg of rice or flour will be charged from the VGF beneficiaries except the destitute and maimed people among them, he said.
The government is also considering starting ration for the third and fourth class government employees, the minister added.