Price of rice
The sharp rise in the price of rice is not the government's responsibility; so said a honourable and wise Adviser. Unfortunately, he could not even provide the reasons for this price hike! In hindsight, the first logical reason was the delay and short supply of fertilisers. Over three months back, much was said and written on the matter, till the static CTG at last started rationing fertilisers; an unheard of process during the last decade! The CTG said this was to curb corruption in fertiliser distribution and sale. The net result was that farmers got fertilisers, but too late.
The benefit (if any) was that fertiliser distribution was claimed to be streamlined? The cost was colossal, and areas around Naogaon and Dinajpur (rice granaries of Bangladesh) could not plant rice timely; the result of which we see today. Fair and square, this had nothing to do with the price hike of rice as the honourable Adviser said! Shortage of fertilisers was another matter; and we are being now advised that this too had nothing to do with the price of rice today!
With all the army and police led search and seize operations, rice inventories started dropping swiftly. The result is now being felt by the helpless consumers! Once again, the CTG can say that this too has nothing to do with the price hike of rice! The worthy Advisers have achieved their objective by rationing fertilisers in dribbles-- liquidating the hoarder's non-standard (but wise) practice of building up buffer inventories of rice. Today the rice market mechanism is down to the cash and caring mode-- thanks to our capable and efficient CTG! Even the BDR had liquidated their inventories and their price too has taken a long jump of Tk.5 per kg as reported in the dailies (Jan:03)! However, the Adviser has well and truly stated, “We have nothing to do with the price hike of rice!”
Today we are no longer a failed state; but a stable state, as reported in the dailies (Jan: 03). Naturally, who bothers about an unstable and high price of rice! The people can either afford it or not, it is their business and the CTG has nothing to do with this! There was an advice--we got from our parents and teachers as children, many years ago. They said, “One bad deed by you wipes out all your good deeds.” But may be this old fashioned advice of elders of the 1940's is no longer valid in this 21st century! However, I still remember it.
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