Around 52,000 hand-to-mouth families were given food assistance aimed at lessening their financial hardship being caused by coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Rajshahi division.
Each of the families got five kilograms of rice as the Department of Food has launched the open market sale of rice at Tk10 per kilogram in order to help them cope with the present pandemic situation.
“257 metric tons of rice were sold last week at 117 points in all eight districts of the division including the Rajshahi city areas through the enlisted dealers, simultaneously benefiting the large number of low-income group people,” said Raihanul Kabir, Regional Controller of the Department of Food.
Any of the targeted group families can purchase five kilograms each in three days- Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday- every week from now on, he added.
He identically mentioned that only the daily wage-earners, rickshaw-pullers, van-pullers, transport labourers, vendors, tea-stall owners, beggars, vagabonds and transgender people will get the rice through showing their national identity cards while maintaining social distancing.
Besides, 7,73,026 poor and extreme poor households were given 24,000 tons of rice at Tk10 per kilogram under the government’s “Food Friendly Program” last month. An equal number of families will also get the same quantity of rice during the current month, Raihanul Kabir added.
Another 4,500 tons of rice is also being distributed among the families in need under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) program. Each of the 1.5 lakh beneficiary families is getting 30 kilograms of rice every month free of cost.
Humayun Kabir Khandaker, Commissioner of Rajshahi Divisional, yesterday said all-out measures have been adopted to ensure food security of the hand-to-mouth families by distributing food among them during the current disastrous situation.
More than 4,362.11 tons of rice were distributed among 4,24,656 families so far, and over Tk 1.56 crore in cash among 2,12,263 families in the division, he said, adding that 2,870 more tons of rice and around Taka 1.51 crore in cash are in stock for distribution.
In addition to the Rajshahi City Corporation, various other institutions, organizations, and volunteers have been distributing foodstuffs among the wage earners everywhere in the region.
On the other hand, farmers of the division have attained satisfactory yields of all varieties of rice like Aush and transplanted Aman and other food grains like wheat, maize, and vegetables including potatoes in the past one year, which has an immense contribution towards ensuring community-level food security besides coping with any emergency situation.
Deb Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said the farmers produced around 20.14 lakh tones Aman and 5.56 lakh tones of Aush rice from 9.62 lakh hectares of land, 5.19 lakh tons of wheat from 1.46 lakh hectares of land, 4.57 lakh tons of maize from 49,482 hectares of land and 1.30 lakh tones of pulses from 94,979 hectares of land.
Besides, farmers have completed the process of seedlings transplantation of Irri-Boro paddy successfully in the current season amidst suitable climate conditions everywhere in Rajshahi division including its vast Barind tract.
The DAE has set a target of producing around 34.30 lakh tons of Irri-Boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division this season.
