Complaint of corruption stops VGD programme

Nilphamari District Relief Officer (DRO) Abdul Majid told this correspondent that WFP Assistant Field Officer (Rangpur region) Salma Begum in a written complaint to its Dhaka office in March said she found 100 bags of VGD wheat sold in the black market and stored in a godown of a trader in Ananda Babur Pool area in Nilphamari town.

She also complained that there were 'a number of fake VGD cards' in each union. The distribution is suspended since then.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

At the directive of Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner, a three-member team headed by the District Relief Officer probed the matter. The local UNO and the Women's Affairs Officer were other members of the team.

The DRO in his report said he did not find any irregularity as stated by the WFP official.

After that, another five-member committee was formed at the directive of food ministry to probe the matter. The committee headed by the Deputy Director (DD) of VGD section of Relief Directorate included the DD of Women's Affairs Directorate, WFP head in Rajshahi division and the District Relief Officer. The committee made a thorough investigation but its report is yet to be available to officials in Nilphamari.

A source in the District Women's Affairs Office claimed that there are 380 VGD cardholders in the 15 unions in Sadar Upazila and most of them are distressed women.

Asked by this correspondent, many VGD card holders alleged that they got food grains under VGD cards only once in the last five months since January. The VGD doles for the month of January was given in March.

They said they got a packet of 25 kilograms of flour though they were supposed to get 30 kgs against each VGD card.

Sources said the flour was distributed through an NGO, which received the wheat, crushed and supplied it to cardholders naming it 'Pushti Atta'

There is a committee in each union headed by the Union Parishad for distribution of the food grains.