Staff Reporter :
The open-market-sales outlets run by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) witnessed a surge in buyers yesterday as the state-owned entity started a fresh nationwide commodity sales programme at subsidised rates amid a surge in the prices of daily essentials on the market.
While visiting various TCB’s sales outlet in the capital it was found that hundreds of people gathered there from the morning to buy essential commodities at subsidised prices.
Standing in queue, most buyers were seeking for edible oil as prices of the commodity went through the roof.
At Marul Badda, people also seen standing in queues in front of TCB trucks to procure their daily needs as they are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the situation with their fixed income.
All people in the queues, however, did not get the subsidised commodities due to the insufficient supply of the items.
Meanwhile, the government has started month-long essentials selling programme in the capital today ahead of the upcoming holy Ramadan aiming to distribute commodities at subsidized rate among one crore lower-income families throughout the country.
Under the programme, the state-owned entity will sell onion, green peas, dates, sugar, lentils, and soyabean oil in the capital in two phases- first phase which will continue till March 24 and the second phase will start from March 27 and will continue till April 24, reports BSS.
“TCB normally sell products covering almost 3-4 million people, but this year we have started the programme with a target to reach at least 10 million families at the grassroots level,” said TCB Chairman Brigadier General M Ariful Hasan.
In Dhaka city, the TCB Chairman said, the programme will be conducted by the two city corporations, and about 1.25 million families are expected to be benefitted from it.
The products will be sold in every ward areas under two city corporations through dealers and 150 trucks. “A particular family in the capital will get the products two times including the floating people living in the capital,” said the TCB top boss.
Apart from this, the country-wide selling programme including all metropolitan cities, districts, upazilas and unions will start from March 15 and it will continue till before March 27, reports BSS.
TCB chief said the selling programme outside the capital will be operated under the supervision of the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs). The distribution of the commodities will be ensured only for the enlisted people at the grassroots level across the country, the TCB official added.
People will get certain amount of 2-kg sugar at the rate of Taka 55 per kg, lentils at Taka 65, soyabean oil at Taka 110, per liter and onion at Taka 30 per kg.
People will get certain amount of 2-kg sugar at the rate of Taka 55 per kg, lentils at Taka 65, soyabean oil at Taka 110, per liter and onion at Taka 30 per kg.
