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OMS, food-friendly prog to begin on Sept 1 countrywide


By BSS
Published : 30 Aug 2022 10:21 PM | Updated : 31 Aug 2022 02:25 PM

'Food Friendly Programme (FFP)' or 'Khaddo Bandhob Karmasuchi' and Open Market Sales (OMS) will start across the country from September 1.

'Khaddo Bandhob Karmasuchi' and Open Market Sales (OMS) will be strengthened from September 1 alongside selling rice and flour among cardholders of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) at fair prices, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Tuesday said.

The minister was talking to the reporters at a press briefing organized by the Food Department at Naogaon Circuit House auditorium in the district.

Despite sufficient stock of rice in the country, the price in the market has suddenly increased by taka 5 to 6 per kilogram (kg) recently, he said, adding that the humanitarian programme has been adopted across the country considering the difficulties of the consumers as per the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said that two metric tons of rice will be supplied to 2,363 centers in the country on daily basis from September 1 and TCB cardholders will be given priority in these centers.

At each OMS center, TCB card holders will be given 5 kg of rice twice a month at a price of Tk 30 per kg while common people who do not have TCB card will be given the same amount of rice against NID card, he said.

Under the FFP, 30 kg of rice per month will be distributed to 50 lakh families across the country at a price of Tk 15 per kg, he added.

Besides, rice will be sold openly in 50 trucks in Dhaka city and under the programme, 2 metric tons of rice per truck will be sold daily under OMS, he said.

UNB adds: Bangladesh’s current food stock is highest-ever in recent times, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said on Tuesday dismissing any possible food shortage in the coming days.

“In spite of the good stocks, efforts are on to increase import of rice to keep the price of the staple under control and ensure food safety,” he told reporters at Naogaon Circuit House.

During the Boro season, some 19.50 lakh metric tonnes of rice have been procured until Monday and the procurement drive will end on Wednesday. The Boro procurement target will be fulfilled by the end of this drive, he said.

The minister said there is no possibility of a shortage of any kind of food such as rice and wheat as the government has already decided to import wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

The government has increased the number of open market sale (OMS) dealers three times for mitigating public sufferings, he said adding the number of OMS centers has been raised from 813 to 2363.

Not only that, the government is going to start open market sale (OMS) of rice from September 1 as per the directives of the prime minister, said Sadhan.

The TCB card holders can buy OMS rice showing their cards, while others can purchase rice by showing their NID cards twice a month, said the minister.

The authorities concerned will ensure that no person can purchase rice through OMS more than twice.

After the launching of OMS service and food-friendly programme, the rice price will come down at a tolerable level after a few days, he hoped.

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