The government will provide 5.5 million families with rice at Tk15 per kg under the Food-Friendly Program starting on Sunday.
This year, the number of beneficiaries has been increased by 0.5 million to a total of 5.5 million families, each of whom will receive 30kg of rice per month at Tk15 per kg.
Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder shared this information on Monday during an exchange meeting with the district administration and local officials of the Directorate General of Food at the Manikganj Circuit House.
The information was disclosed in a press release sent by the ministry.
Ali Imam Majumder said that the collection drive for Boro season paddy and rice for the current year will conclude on Thursday.
He said that this year, the Food-Friendly Program will run for six months. The first phase will operate from August to November. The program will be suspended in December and January, and in the second phase, it will resume in February and March. A total of 1 million metric tonnes of rice will be distributed.
Expressing satisfaction over the finalization of the list of 54,757 beneficiaries in Manikganj district after verification, the food adviser instructed regular monitoring to ensure timely distribution of the allocated rice at the fixed price and warned of strict action in case of irregularities.
Referring to the current food stock as the highest in the country’s history, he said that there are now 2.179633 million metric tons of food in stock, which is far above the safe limit of 1.35 million metric tonss. He also said that the government has taken early preparations to deal with floods and ensure food security.
It was stated at the meeting that 25% of Manikganj is char land and 65% of its land is low-lying, making it prone to early flooding. The district produces a high amount of fine rice, peanuts, carrots, and various vegetables.
