Reza Mahmud :
The government’s food grains procurement drive across the country may not serve the purpose this season because of widespread corruption by a section of officials engaged in the procurement of wheat.
These officials are allegedly buying wheat from traders and political leaders instead of farmers under the plan to buy 1,00000 tonnes of wheat.
The procurement drive began on April 18, under which 16 lakh tonnes of food grain are supposed to be purchased directly from the growers. Besides 1 lakh tonnes of wheat, 8 lakh tonnes of paddy and 7 lakh tonnes of rice would be purchased from the growers as per the procurement plan.
“The officials are to buy wheat from farmers. But when we go to the office with wheat, they humiliate us. They even drive us out of the government depot showing a lame excuse that our wheat is not buyable. But they buy sub-standard and wet wheat from traders and influential political leaders,” said Akidul Alam, a farmer from a village in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district.
The farmers of Boalmari held a human chain under the banner of Upazila Krishak League at the WAPDA intersection of the upazila town protesting such illegal acts of the officials.
Former upazila chairman Abdur Rahman Bashar, former upazila Awami League president Golam Sarwar Mridha and upazila Krishak League General Secretary Akramuzzaman Mridha spoke at the human chain programme.
The farmers and leaders said the upazila food officer, Rezaul Karim, is involved in corruption in collecting wheat.
They alleged that the food officer buys wheat from traders and leaders after taking extra Tk 200 for the purchase of 40-kg of wheat and Tk 5000 per tonne.
When contacted, Rezaul Karim denied outright the allegation saying that it was ‘politically motivated’.
“Some leaders wanted to sell wheat to the LSD but failed. Because we collected the grains directly from the farmers,” Karim told The New Nation.
Many farmers have alleged that the influential political leaders and businessmen are not only defying the rules but denying their rights.
According to the food ministry directive, maximum 3 tonnes of wheat could be collected from a farmer.
These influential leaders and businessmen do not go by this rule and sell trucks of wheat exceeding the limits, the farmers complained.
The same allegation came from the neighbouring upazila Alfadanga in the district of Faridpur. An additional amount of Tk 180 is being realized against the purchase of 40-kg wheat and Tk 4,500 for a tonne of the item, according to some farmers.
The Upazila Chairman, Jalal Uddin Ahmed, warned the upazila food officer to stop wheat purchase from traders instead of farmers. But it is alleged that the officer concerned did not pay heed to this warning.
According to the food ministry, the wheat procurement will continue till June 30 this year. The government fixed the procurement rate of wheat at Tk 28 a kg, whereas the item is now selling at Tk 20 a kg in the local market, making room for a quick buck for the political leaders who sell wheat to the government depots.
Our correspondents from other districts also reported such malpractices.
In Panchbibi upazila of Jaipurhat district, the farmers alleged of huge irregularities in wheat procurement.
Farmers of nearby villages said the purchase started from April 29 to collect 3, 98, 000 kgs of wheat from the upazila. But the officials completed buying 2, 50, 000 tonnes of wheat within two days from the businessmen and political leaders depriving the bonafide farmers.
They alleged that the food officer held secret meetings with the businessmen and fixed the graft amount Tk1400 for the purchase of a tone of wheat.
“I went to the LSD office to sell my wheat with my farmers subsidy card. But the officer said they completed buying. They deprived us,” said farmer Mobarak Ali from Gopalpur village. Farmer Asit Kumar from Naoda and Biswajit from Panchbibi made similar allegations.
The Food Officer, Obaidul Islam, however, denied the allegations.
Such allegations also came from Gangni upazila in Meherpur district and elsewhere in the country.
The farmers in different areas said the wheat is selling in open market at Tk 20-21 per kg. Most farmers feel encouraged after hearing the government plans to collect wheat at Tk 28 per kg. But in most places across the country the bonafide farmers did not get the chance to sell their produces. The businessmen and influential persons took the chance and became beneficiaries.
