In the name of selling rice and flour through OMS under the food department in Rangpur city, extreme anarchy and irregularities is going on.
Even after standing in line since midnight, rice and flour are not available at a fair price.
As a result, helpless and poor people are going back without being able to buy food.
Besides, due to soaring prices in the market, they are unable to buy rice and flour and spend their days starving.
Apart from this, the lack of supervision of the food department has led to allegations of selling half the allocation in advance and selling rice flour to those who prefer it.
On the surface, many food department dealers, including Surabhi Udyan, Grand Hotel Mor, adjacent to the DC office in Rangpur, were seen standing in long queues for rice and flour at a fair price.
On the other hand, many were buying rice and flour without standing in line.
Not only that, many people were standing in line again after taking rice and flour four-five times and selling it to the nearby brokers.
The women who stand in line since midnight are returning after 2pm without getting their desired rice and flour.
Sources at the food department said that they were selling 1.5 tons of rice and 1 ton of flour in Rangpur city every day through their 17 dealers. Rice is priced at Tk30 per kg and flour at Tk24 per kg.
On the other hand, this rice is being sold in the market at twice the price, at Tk60 per kg, and flour is being sold at almost three times the price at Tk65 per kg.
Apart from this, eight dealers in eight trucks are allotted to sell 2 tons of rice at Tk30 per kg.
Going to the city's Surabhi Udyan, it was seen that Laili Begum, Amena Begum, Safura Khatun of Hanuman Tala Mahalla, old Samchul of Radhaballav area and many others were waiting in line to buy rice from dawn.
They complained that they were not given rice even though they stood in line till 1pm. Their line is no longer reduced.
But many people are leaving with rice without joining the line.
They alleged that they are all labourers working from house to house and many are rickshaw pullers and pushers. If they buy rice from the market at a high price with their daily income, they will not have money to buy rice cookers. As the price is lower than the fair price, they waited all day hoping to get 5kg of rice, but they did not get the rice.
In this regard, the dealer selling rice in Surabhi Udyan could not be reached, but his employee Salam claimed that rice is sold to those who stand in line.
Regarding many people taking rice without queuing up, he said: “What can we do, we can't argue with women.”
Similarly, in front of the shop of a dealer named Asif at Grand Hotel Morash, there was a huge crowd of men and women. Most of the women complained that they were waiting in queues since early morning to buy rice and flour but they were not given rice or flour until 1:30pm. But in front of them, many polite people are going directly and leaving with rice flour.
They do not even hold the line and our line never ends, they complained.
Shahera of Akali Tari of the city, Asam Begum of Ardshapara Mohalla, Moina Begum of Erei Mohalla, Aarti of Shapla Chatwar area, Jolly Begum, Mumtaz Russel Mia of Senpara complained that they did not get rice and flour at a fair price despite standing in line since 5am. They complained that the price of rice and flour in the market is two to three times that of OMS, their income has decreased and they have to fast if they do not get rice or flour at a fair price.
At that time, Salam showed the two women and said that they have so far brought rice and flour four-five times each and sold them to the brokers nearby and came back again.
When the dealer Asif was contacted in this regard, he said that the women themselves stand in the queue since morning and they engage in disputes among themselves.
He added that three times more people come compared to the allocation given by the food department, so it is not possible to provide all the women and men.
For that reason, he especially demanded to double the allocation of flour instead of 1 ton.
Another thing noticed upon visiting various dealers is the lack of supervision in the food department. Most of the 78 dealers in Rangpur city are leaders of Awami League and its affiliates. Some of the dealers are top leaders of the metropolitan Awami League and their relatives.
Apart from this, some Jatiya Party leaders are also dealers.
On the other hand, when the rice or flour allotted to each dealer is brought to the store or truck to the designated place, due to the lack of supervision of the food department, many dealers bring half the goods and sell them in the black market in advance. As a result, due to lack of supervision on arrival and departure, OMS rice and flour are not available to poor families.
Sadar Upazila Food Officer Md Dulal Mia was contacted to inquire about the overall situation. He said: “If we receive a complaint, there is action against the culprits. Consumer Rights Protection Council has already conducted a campaign and fined some people, and we have also suspended the dealerships of some people.”
He also said that this campaign will continue.
