People living in rural areas of Magura are being deprived of the benefits of Open Market Sale (OMS), as the sale is only going on in municipal areas of the district, leaving low-income groups of people in a miserable condition.
The district food office started selling rice on February 2 with a view to providing essential items to distressed people at lower price.
Currently, the district food office is running this programme through nine dealers. Under the programme, every customer is allowed to purchase 5kg rice a day at Tk24 per kg.
People living in municipality area are happy as they are getting the opportunity to buy rice at Tk24 per kilogram under OMS as against Tk35 in the local market, but rural people are not getting the same facilities.
Noim Miah, a shopkeeper at Bariala village under Magura Sadar upazila, said: “We are being compelled to buy rice at Tk35 in local market, but the townspeople are purchasing the same quantity at Tk24, which is discriminatory against us.
“My family needs 5kg rice every day. In want of the OMS rice I am compelled to spend more than Tk50 a day, which I could have used to buy some more essential commodities for my family.”
Abdul Karim, a van puller at Jagla village under Sadar upazila, said comparatively more people from low-income group were living in rural areas, but the Food Department was giving the facilities only to municipality people.
Khalek Biswas a day labourer at Dhorla village under Magura Sadar upazila, said: “We have been demanding OMS rice since the price of rice has marked a sharp rise in the district. With the start of OMS rice we were initially delighted, but when we came to know that the programme is confined within municipality area, we got shocked.” When contacted, Abdul Kadir, food controller of Magura sadar upazila, acknowledged the fact.
He said: “We have started OMS for rice in municipality area on experimental basis. If we get good response, we will start OMS of rice in union level to serve the rural people of the district.”
The Open Market Sale had been commenced by the government in early 1980s, but the recent seasonal OMS was first introduced in April 2008.