National Desk :
Special open market sale (OMS) of rice and flour began on Sunday in Rangpur to assist the poor and low-income group people in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan inaugurated the special OMS program in a function held at Robertsonganj School Ground in the metropolis as the chief guest.
The Department of Food organised the function strictly abiding by the health directives in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic with District Controller of Food Md Abdul Quader in the chair.
Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Alim Mahmud, Rangpur Regional Controller of Food Md Abdus Salam, Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan and Chief Executive Officer of Rangpur City Corporation Md Ruhul Amin Miah were present.
In his brief welcome speech, District Controller of Food Md Abdul Quader said each of the 1,500 consumers would be able to buy five kg of rice at Taka 30 per kg and five kg of flour at Taka 18 per kg daily.
The government has launched this special OMS program for the poor, jobless, helpless, destitute and low-income group people in Rangpur as elsewhere across the country to address the crisis during the Covid-19 pandemic period.
A total of 7,500 kgs of rice and 1,500 kgs of flour loaded in three roving trucks will be sold every day in Rangpur city corporation area till August 7 next,” Abdul Quader added.
On the occasion, the Divisional Commissioner said the government has engaged all-out comprehensive efforts to stand beside the helpless people to assist them in various ways to face the Coronavirus pandemic situation.
“To address the current crisis, the special program has been launched to sell rice and flour also to contain price hikes in the open markets so that people who work hard can buy this rice-flour under the OMS program at lower prices,” he said.
“Allegations of any kind of irregularity and corruption in this special OMS activity of the government will not be tolerated. If some quarters try to corrupt the dealers with this rice and flour, stringent actions will be taken against them,” he said.
The OMS rice and flour will be sold in every district and municipality area of all eight districts in Rangpur division and the activity will continue till August 7 next.
“The government has sufficient food grains for this purpose. We have taken all necessary steps to ensure complete transparency in running the special OMS program in Rangpur division,” Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan added.
