Rice price stable, claims food minister; people under pressure, says commerce minister
Despite hike in prices of food grains around the world due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Bangladesh government has been successful in keeping the price of rice stable, claims food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday.
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi, however, thinks the people are under pressure due to spiraling prices of daily necessities. That is why the government has been trying to ease the pressure by taking various steps.
The two cabinet members made such remarks while inaugurating selling of TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) products at a subsidised rates for July behind Polwel Convention Shopping Centre in Abdullapur, Dhaka.
Alongside selling regular products among 10 million lower income families through cards, TCB for the first time has included selling 5-kg rice at a rate of Tk 30 per kg from today.
Speaking as chief guest at the programme, food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, “The government is distributing around 3 million tonnes of food grains in a year in different ways. Currently the stock of rice is in a better state, so there is no serious crisis in the market. We could keep the rice price stable.”
The minister also claimed that the government has taken all kinds steps to keep the rice price stable.
Speaking about the initiative to provide rations through TCB’s family card, the minister said, “The government has taken this initiative so that people do not face any hardship. We shall continue this in cooperation with the commerce ministry along with other programmes. But there could be some discrepancies in such a huge task. Inform us about such incidents and we shall take steps. There is a tendency among many distributors to resort to crime. But not everyone is same.”
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi addressed the programme as special guest. He said, “Inclusion of rice in the family card will be comforting. People are under pressure as price of commodities are spiraling. That is why we have taken this step. Ten million families will benefit. Roughly five million people will benefit if we consider the number of family members as five on average. Their sufferings will decrease.”
TCB said a family card holder can buy at a time 2 litres of soybean oil, 2 kgs of masur dal, 1 kg sugar and 5 kgs rice this time. The price of masur dal has been decreased by Tk 10 per kg while soybean oil price has been fixed at Tk 100 per litre. Price of per kg sugar is Tk 70, masur dal (lentils) Tk 60 and per kg rice is fixed at Tk 30. The sale began on 16 July and will continue throughout the month.