Long queue for OMS rice, many go empty-handed
People in a long queue wait for their turn before an OMS outlet for coarse rice in Bera upazila in Pabna. But many of them return empty-handed as supply of rice is too meagre compared to the demand. Photo: STAR
Many people are returning empty-handed from open market sale (OMS) outlets in the district as demand has greatly exceeded the supply of rice. OMS dealer of Library Bazar area Md Ashraf Ali said, “I receive one thousand kg rice a day to sell among 200 people. The allotted amount usually gets finished within an hour or so of opening the shop at 9:00am. Still many people wait in queue as we are supposed to stay open till 4:00 in the evening.” Md Abu Sufian, a dealer at Mohonganj Bazar of Bera upazila told the same tale. “The number of people at my shop is two to three times bigger than the quantity of rice I get for distribution,” he said. The same situation seems to prevail in all 68 OMS shops of the district. “I was waiting in the line since 5:30am. But the dealer says today's allotment has already been sold. I don't know how to feed my family in the next two days as the shop would remain closed on Friday,” said Begum Khatun, a 60-year-old woman of village Chatiani. She was returning empty handed from the OMS outlet at Library Bazar yesterday. Atiar Rahman, a day-labourer of the same village however expressed his happiness as he could collect 5 kg rice from the shop at about 10:00am even though he had to stand in queue from early morning. The village people are also suffering largely because of abject poverty. Most of them cannot afford to buy rice from open market because of high price. There are 68 OMS dealers in nine upazilas of the district. They sell rice at the government fixed rate of Tk 24 per kg for the variety that sells at Tk34-36 in the retail outlets. Mayna Khatun, of village Betbaria in Bera municipality said, “I stand in queue everyday to collect the cheaper rice but unfortunately I do not get it on many occasions. Many people, like me, return empty handed despite waiting in line from very early morning.” District Food Controller (DC food) Md Abdur Rakib admitted that the allotment of rice is too meagre compared to the demand in the district. “As per the government order we are permitted to provide each dealer with one metric tonne of rice for distribution among 200 poor people but the allotment is too small compared to the requirement. The retail market price of rice is still very high and poor people are rushing to the OMS shops”, he said. “We are taking steps to increase the allotment so that the dealers can cope with the demand,” Abdur Rakib added.
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