OMS: Many areas in Barisal left out

Rice prices have started falling in some areas following the OMS operation.

Alongside, there are allegations of "politicisation" of OMS dealership, supply of low quality rice and sale of rice in black market in many areas.

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In Barisal city, only 23 dealers have been engaged under the OMS programme while at least 60 are needed to cover all the 30 wards. Of the 23, only 15 have started selling rice.

Allegations have it that most of the dealers are ruling party men, who are doing irregularities in sale of rice.

Traders at the wholesale rice market at Hatkhola, Fariapatty and Chaulapatty in the city said that since launch of the OMS progaram, price of different varieties of rice declined by Tk 50 to 150 per quintal (100 kg.).

Coarse rice sells at Tk 16 per kg and fine rice at Tk 22 in the city markets, they said.

Reports from Gournadi said 14 dealers have been engaged in seven unions and another three in Gournadi Municipal area. All the dealers are ruling party men, including the general secretary of Gournadi Government College Students Union, sources claimed.

Twelve of the 17 dealers in Gournadi received 14.28 tonnes of rice

from the food department is last three days. But a sizeable portion of the rice was sold in the black market, they alleged.

When contacted, Gournadi Upazila Food Officer Abdur Rob said a seven-member supervision team is supervising proper distribution of OMS rice and prevent black marketing.

In Banaripara upazila, the OMS of rice is yet to start. UNO Khan Md Rezaul Karim said eight dealers have been selected and the rice sale in the upazila and the municipal area will be started in a day or tow.

In Jhalakati district, only 28 out of 74 dealers got their rice allotments. They sold tonnes of rice so far, but this did not have any impact on the prices.

In Barguna, food department officials changed the list of OMS dealers under political pressure, some dealers alleged when contacted over phone.

The officials however said OMS progarmme was launched in the district three days back.

In Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali, dealers received OMS rice but did not distribute those fearing public reaction as the rice was of very low quality having bad smell. Sixteen dealers have been selected for the upazila.