Tk 10 a kg rice programme extended

The government has extended Food-Friendly Programme for one more month, while the OMS programme for around 13 lakh listed people in urban and semi-urban areas will continue to help the low-income people hit hard by the shutdown.

Under the Food-Friendly Programme, the food ministry, through its dealers, sells rice for Tk 10 a kg among another 50 lakh listed beneficiaries for five months a year. Usually, the programme continues until April, but this year, the ministry has stretched the time until May.

"We have decided to extend it for one more month due to the current situation. We may have to extend further if the situation demands," Food Secretary Nazmanara Khanum told The Daily Star yesterday.

Upon receiving an additional budgetary allocation from the finance ministry, the food ministry yesterday wrote to the director general of Directorate General of Food to take necessary steps for updating the list of beneficiaries and distributing the rice before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Signed by Shameem Hasan, a deputy secretary of the ministry, the letter was also sent to all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and district food controllers.

"We have issued the directive so that the needy get the rice before Eid. The authorities concerned have to update the list before that," Shameem told this newspaper.

Under the Food-Friendly Programme introduced in 2016, 50 lakh families can buy 30kg rice a month for Tk 10 a kg.

Amid the allegation of misappropriation of the government subsidised food, the ministry formed committees to scrutinise the lists to check whether the needy are getting the food, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.

"We formed committees at union level to check the lists of beneficiaries under the Food-Friendly Programme. The committees comprised of a government officer, an elected representative, an Imam of a local mosque, a college teacher, and a schoolteacher have completed their work," said the minister while talking to this correspondent yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Food launched a Special OMS programme on April 5 so that the poor can get rice at Tk 10 a kg amid the countrywide shutdown enforced to contain the spread of Covid-19.

But over allegations of rice embezzlement, the government suspended the programme on April 15 and decided to issue cards for the poor across the country so that they can buy rice for Tk 10 a kg.

After a pause, the government resumed selling rice under the programme from last monthand sold rice among 12.81 lakh listed people so far, the food secretary said.

The number of beneficiaries under the programme may increase once they get an additional allocation from the finance ministry, the secretary added.