BSS, Nilphamari :
More than 1.32 lakh extreme poor families in six upazila of the district have been getting rice at a rate of Taka 10 per kilogram (kg) since on Monday.
The selected card holders of the upazilas will get 30 kilograms of rice in every month through 247 village ration dealers at a rate of Taka 10 per kg under the ‘Food Friendly Programme for the Ultra Poor.
District Food Control office appointed 54 dealers in 15 union of Sadar upazila, 37 dealers in 10 unions of Domar upazila, 31 dealers in 10 unions of Dimla upazila, 50 dealers in 11 unions of Jaldhaka upazila, 53 dealers in 9 unions of Kishorganj upazila and 32 dealers in 5 unions of Saidpur upazila.
District food controller Kazi Saifuddin said the government will provide food support to the extreme poor families during the crisis period so that they do not suffer for food crisis.
The rice will be distributed among the poor families three days (Monday to Wednesday) in a week and the widows and physically challenged people will get priority for getting the rice.
Besides, Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice has also been launched in the district and 15 dealers are selling rice in different areas of six upazilas.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: More than 7.73 lakh extreme poor families in all eight districts under Rajshahi division have started getting rice at a rate of Taka 10 per kilogram (kg) since Sunday last.
The selected card holders will get 30 kilograms of rice in every month through village ration dealers at a rate of Taka 10 per kg under the ‘Food Friendly Programme for the Ultra Poor.
Requisite number of village ration dealers has already been appointed at all unions of the division to sell the rice, said Md Muniruzzaman, Regional Controller of Food in Rajshahi, while talking to BSS here on Monday. “We will distribute 2.31 lakh metric tons of rice through 1,329 dealers,” he added.
The government wants to provide food support to the extreme poor families during the crisis period so that they do not suffer for food crisis. At the same time, the government’s election pledge to decrease rice price at Taka 10 per kg can be fulfilled with the decision, he added.
For every 500 families, a village ration dealer has been appointed for distributing the rice smoothly while the widows and physically challenged people will get priority in the programme.
The food controller also said the rice selling programme at Taka 10 per kg will continue for two months of March to April.
The months have been selected in view of non-availability of work for the day-labourers, he added.
Simultaneously, Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice and flour has also been launched everywhere in the division. Some 108 dealers including 30 in Rajshahi are selling the goods.
He, however, vowed to take punitive measures against those who will engage in any irregularities during the programme.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Nur-Ur-Rahman welcomed the government decision for providing poor families across the country with ration card under social safety net scheme.
He hoped that the initiative will help to reduce market price of rice and flour.
