Govt to distribute 7 lakh tonnes of food in March-April, DCs to oversee Ramadan supply

The government will distribute around seven lakh tonnes of food in March and April, with deputy commissioners instructed to ensure its smooth distribution nationwide during Ramadan, Food and Land Affairs Adviser Ali Imam Majumder said today (17 February).

He made the remarks after the first session on food and land affairs on the second day of the DC Conference in the capital.

The adviser also mentioned that food will be distributed at subsidised rates and, in some cases, for free.

He said, "Three lakh tonnes of rice will be allocated to the food-friendly programme over two months, with 1.5 lakh tonnes each month. Fifty lakh families will get this benefit, who will receive 30 kg of rice at Tk15 per kg."

"Additionally, one lakh tonnes of rice will be distributed through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) at a rate of 50,000 tonnes per month, while another one lakh tonnes will be provided through the Open Market Sale (OMS) scheme," he added.

He further said, "During Eid, one crore families will receive 10 kg of rice for free, along with several other distribution initiatives."

Ali Imam Majumder emphasised that these allocations will play a crucial role in stabilising market prices, with various authorities handling the distribution, but deputy commissioners overseeing the overall supervision.

He noted that monitoring of these programmes in Dhaka Metropolitan areas was previously not as stringent, but officials in Dhaka have now been given special instructions for strict oversight.

He also mentioned that he has already held a separate meeting with the deputy commissioners in Dhaka division and will meet again to ensure proper execution.

The division's 122 sales centres and 70 truck sales points, along with TCB operations, will be monitored as needed with the deployment of magistrates, he added.