Discord with <i>chatal</i> owners delays rice procurement
Food department could not start rice procurement drive in Barisal division as of yesterday as the owners of rice processing firms (chatal) are yet to sign contract with the department.
Md Raka Mia, regional controller (RC) of food, said the government ordered the department concerned to start the drive on June 5 and procure 1,495 tonnes of rice (Tk 29 per kg) from Barisal division by August 31.
“Under the drive, the regional food department needs to procure 785 tonnes of rice from Patuakhali, 557 tonnes from Barisal, 67 tonnes from Jhalakathi, 39 tonnes from Pirojpur and 47 tonnes from Bhola districts,” he said, adding that Barguna district is exempted from the drive.
According to the government guideline, the department concerned will have to sign bilateral contract with the licensed chatal owners before starting the drive and none of the 36 owners of the five districts has signed the contract yet, the RC said.
“Chatal owners are not interested to sell rice at procurement centres as the government rate is lower than the market price,” claimed Hemayetuddin, a chatal owner of Uzipur area of Barisal district.
Some others alleged that the food department had often refused to take their rice in the past, saying quality of rice was not up to the mark.
Last year, the regional food department failed to procure rice against the targeted 3,428 tonnes. It purchased only 22 tonnes paddy against the target of 4,582 tonnes.
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