Ministry orders introducing cards for OMS rice sale

The food ministry has ordered officials concerned to bring the sale of rice at Tk10 per kg – also known as open market sale (OMS) of rice – under a card system.  

In a letter to the deputy commissioners on Wednesday, the ministry said poor people across the country should be listed and they would buy OMS rice using cards.   

It said the poor and the low-income people who did not have any food-friendly programme card yet should be included on the list. 

The ministry recently stopped the sale of OMS rice in the wake of anomalies reported in different parts of the country.

The anomalies involved misappropriation of OMS rice by government officials of different ranks, which deprived the real beneficiaries.    

This led to the ministry's decision to make a list of the poor and low-income groups across the country. 

The ministry in its letter said 20kg rice in a month – or 10kg in two weeks – has to be distributed through cards by following the required health guidelines to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

Strict legal action would be taken against civil servants found to be involved in irregularities and corruption in the sale of OMS rice, warned Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.  

Corruption allegations would be probed and departmental case would be filed, he said.

He also said dealers, if found involved in corruption, would also face legal actions, including cancellation of dealership.