Economic Reporter :
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Wednesday asked the mill owners to keep the rice market stable.
Warning millers that the government will take tough action if there is any attempt to destabilise the rice market, the minister reiterated that if necessary, rice will be imported.
He said that bumper crop of paddy has been harvested this boro season. So, there is no reason for rice market destabilisation.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a meeting titled ‘Discussion on Stabilising Rice Prices in the Market’ via video conference from his official residence on Minto Road.
The meeting was also attended by the Divisional Commissioners of eight divisions, two representatives each from the Divisional Rice Mill Owners Association, the Director General of the Food Department, Regional Food Controllers, and senior officials of the Ministry of Food and Food Department.
Addressing the rice mill owners present at the meeting, the food minister asked them to keep rice market stable and to supply rice from government warehouses as per agreement with the government.
“If you do not follow these, the government will be forced to import rice. But the government does not want to import, if the government imports rice, the rice mills as well as farmers will suffer loss.”
The Director General of the Department of Food has already been instructed to mark mills into A, B, C categories to identify mills which will come forward at this time. Then, they will be evaluated as per the category, he added.
The Minister directed the Divisional Commissioners to take necessary steps to verify and monitor the price of any paddy being sold from mill gate.
