Poor buyers deprived as OMS rice, flour go to black market

Most of the rice and ata (coarse flour) allocated for the government's Open Market Sale (OMS) programme in the district are finding way to the black market, depriving the low income people, beneficiaries of the programme.

"I often fail to get rice or ata from the OMS outlets in the town as dealers show the outlets empty after selling the items to a few beneficiaries in the morning," said rickshaw puller Nazrul Islam, 46, at Namatari in Lalmonirhat town.

"When I went to buy food at noon, dealers said sale of ata and rice is complete," said day labourer Harun Miah at Sakoya Bazar in Lalmonirhat Sadar.

Twelve dealers are contracted for selling ata at Tk 17 per kg and rice at Tk 15 per kg at 12 OMS outlets in the town, said sources at the food department.

Each dealer is allotted 750 kg of ata and 750 kg of rice for selling daily, six days in a week. Six millers are contracted for supplying ata to the 12 OMS outlets and rice is being supplied there from government warehouse. Each miller gets 975 kg of wheat against supplying 750 kg of ata, they said.

Visiting all the 12 OMS outlets in the town, it was found that each dealer sells 200 to 250 kg of ata against allotted 750 kg and 300 to 350 kg of rice against allotted 750 kg daily, while the rest is being sold in the black market.

Now one kg of ata is selling at Tk 22-23 and one kg of rice at Tk 21-22 in the local market.

Seeking anonymity, sources of food department said the money earned from selling OMS foods in black market goes to a section of food officials, millers and dealers, each group getting about one-third of the ill-gotten amount.

Three of the six contracted mills are now inoperative but the food office is not taking any action as the matter is managed allegedly through bribe.

Contacted, Golam Mawla, district food controller in Lalmonirhat, said, "As per rule, food officials are supposed to monitor OMS outlets everyday but it is not possible due to shortage of manpower. I have heard three of six contracted mills are inoperative. I will take action soon."

Asked about the allegation of food officials' sharing of the money earned from selling OMS food in the black market, the officer kept silent.