89 new godawons constructed to preserve food in Rajshahi

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RAJSHAHI, Sept 11, 2018 (BSS) – The food department constructed 89 more
godawons at a cost of Taka 230 crore, increasing the storage capacity of 1,
13,500 metric tons in Rajshahi division during the last couple of years.

The department has also repaired and renovated some other existing food
godawons with an estimated cost of Taka 50 crore.

With the construction of new godawons, its total number stood at 512 in
the division, enhancing the storage capacity to 4, 01,950 metric tons at
present, said Md Muniruzzaman, regional controller of food here today.

“We purchased 32 lakh metric tons of rice, 3.23 lakh metric tons of paddy
and 3.93 lakh metric tons of wheat at a total cost of around Taka 11,135
crore during last nine and half years,” he added.

He said the department also distributed 17.57 lakh metric tons of rice
and 6.27 lakh metric tons of wheat to various stakeholders to mark different
festivals during the period.

The department has already started providing rice to more than 7.73 lakh
extreme poor families at a rate of Tk 10 per kilogram (kg) in all eight
districts under Rajshahi division, he continued.

The selected card holders are getting 30 kilograms of rice every month
through village ration dealers under the ‘Food Friendly Programme’.

The government wants to provide food support to the extreme poor
families during the crisis period. That’s why “we need a good number of
godaowns to preserve food so it can be used in crisis time,” Muniruzzaman
said.

About selling rice at TK 10 per Kg under ‘Food Friendly Programme’, he
said for every 500 families, a village ration dealer has been appointed for
distributing the rice smoothly while the widows and physically challenged
people are getting priority in the programme.

The food controller also said the rice selling programme at Tk 10 per kg
will continue for three months from September to November.

He, however, vowed to take punitive measures against those involved in
any irregularities regarding the programme.