Govt to start OMS of rice Sunday

The government will begin Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice across the country on Sunday to minimize the high trend of retail price of the staple food.

The lower income people will get maximum 5-kg rice each at Taka 30 per kg a day, BSS reported.

In addition to this, the government today started a Food Friendly Programme up to the union level for 50 lakh extreme poor people.

Under the program, each family will get maximum 30-kg rice per month at Taka 10 per kg.

"We will begin rice sale under OMS programme across the country on March 4 for the lower income people," said Food Secretary Sahabuddin Ahmad.

The OMS will begin at all the divisional cities and district headquarters, he said.

Under the programme, people will get maximum five-kg rice per day and the food department with its regional offices would sell 625 metric tons of rice a day.

"The food department will sell over 21,000 metric tons a month under the OMS programme," said Director General of the Department of Food Badrul Hasan.

About the food friendly programme, the Food Secretary said the programe is being carried out as part of a five-month programme covering the months of March and April and the July-September period. The government will distribute around 7.50 lakh metric tons of rice annually for the programme.

He, however, said the OMS will continue until the rice price comes down to normal level.