540 more OMS dealers appointed

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The caretaker government decided to increase the sale of rice under the open-market sale (OMS) operation to alleviate public sufferings caused by high prices of essentials and appointed 540 more dealers across the country.

Food and Disaster Management Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali yesterday told reporters about the expansion of the rice-selling operation at his ministry, a day after a government expert consultative meeting talked about various urgent interventions, UNB reports.

“The decision to increase the sale of rice under OMS would not create any problem for food stock as the country now has six lakh tonnes of food in storage,” he said.

Meanwhile, the import of four lakh tonnes of rice from India hangs in the balance since the two countries could not strike the deal yesterday. Yesterday’s scheduled meeting on the import between the director general (DG) of food and Indian negotiators did not take place due to unknown reasons.

An Indian negotiator told The Daily Star that the foreign ministries of the countries have already exchanged views on the issue and both the governments’ highest levels are to decide now.

“Probably, this is why today’s [Sunday's] meeting was not held,” the negotiator said.

Talking to The Daily Star DG Pius Costa said the decision to import rice from India is now depending on the highest level of the government but the negotiations will continue.

He said the first consignment of 1 lakh tonnes of rice has started arriving in the country. At least 35,000 tonnes are expected to arrive within the 30th of this month, he added.

He said rice import was hampered for two to three days due to holidays in India but the flow would resume from today.

Bangladesh is importing the rice at $399 per tonne after India promised the export of 5 lakh tonnes of rice to Bangladesh.

Around 3,000 rice-laden trucks are stranded in Petrapole, the Indian side of Benapole Land Port, for 19 days, reports our Benapole correspondent. The delay was due to a deadlock in the negotiations of the prices of rice.

Meanwhile, traders claimed yesterday that rice prices remained unchanged at both wholesale and retail markets.

Wholesalers yesterday said Swarna and Ratna varieties of rice were selling at Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,250 per maund, 37.32kg. Local varieties of coarse rice were selling between Tk 1,140 and Tk 1,200 per maund.

At the retail level, coarse varieties of rice were selling between Tk 32 and Tk 35 per kg yesterday while the finer varieties were selling between Tk 36 and Tk 42 kg, the traders said.

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