THE open market sale of rice is barely helping the poor as they are not used to the offered selection while their preferred rice is out of their reach. The government launched open market sale (OMS) of crude rice at the rate of Tk 30 per kilogram across the divisional and district towns on September 17 this year. But poor people are saying that they are staying half-fed or being forced to eat only puffed or flattened rice for the OMS rice is non-boiled, known as ‘atop’ while they are used to boiled rice.
Open Market Sale Scheme means selling of food grains by government or government agencies at fixed prices in the open market from time to time to enhance the supply of grains especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices especially in the deficit regions. Even after the launch of OMS scheme, the rice market remained volatile with the government asking the local administrations in rice-trade zones to go for occasional raids to ensure that no one hoards the staple. But rice mill owners sharply reacted to the move claiming no millers would stock rice during this pre-Aman lean season. The millers rather attributed the price hike to domestic production shortfall, panic following fake news of India’s rice export ban and the government’s failure to maintain a good stock of rice in public granaries.
Currently, on an average, per kg of boiled rice is being sold in market at Tk 60, increasing from Tk 45 since September. The OMS is selling per kg rice at Tk 30, which was Tk 15 last time. Officials at the Directorate General of Food are saying that they had to increase the OMS price to keep up with the market price. Different non-government organisations however criticised the decision saying that the hike in OMS price only justified the market price hike.
We admit that all the schemes taken by the government is for the benefit of Bangladeshi citizen but somehow they are struggling with their plan and management. The chaotic egg fair is another example of that. Targeted beneficiaries are handly benefited by such sale drives.
Open Market Sale Scheme means selling of food grains by government or government agencies at fixed prices in the open market from time to time to enhance the supply of grains especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices especially in the deficit regions. Even after the launch of OMS scheme, the rice market remained volatile with the government asking the local administrations in rice-trade zones to go for occasional raids to ensure that no one hoards the staple. But rice mill owners sharply reacted to the move claiming no millers would stock rice during this pre-Aman lean season. The millers rather attributed the price hike to domestic production shortfall, panic following fake news of India’s rice export ban and the government’s failure to maintain a good stock of rice in public granaries.
Currently, on an average, per kg of boiled rice is being sold in market at Tk 60, increasing from Tk 45 since September. The OMS is selling per kg rice at Tk 30, which was Tk 15 last time. Officials at the Directorate General of Food are saying that they had to increase the OMS price to keep up with the market price. Different non-government organisations however criticised the decision saying that the hike in OMS price only justified the market price hike.
We admit that all the schemes taken by the government is for the benefit of Bangladeshi citizen but somehow they are struggling with their plan and management. The chaotic egg fair is another example of that. Targeted beneficiaries are handly benefited by such sale drives.
