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OMS starts, fails to rein in prices

Staff Correspondent
Saleofriceata subsidised price ofTk 13 a kg among the economically hard-pressed started yesterday under the government's open market sale (OMS) programme with little impact on the high price of rice in the capitai's kitchen markets.
In the wake of public outcry over the skyrocketing prices of rice, the government launched the OMS operation yesterday through 10,700 dealers across the country. Under the programme, a consumer is entitled to procure a maximum of 3kg co arse rice atTk 13 per day.
But on the first day in the capital, when poor people queued around makeshift OMS centres- rice-laden trucks- to buy rice at lower price, traders at different markets continued to sell rice at high prices. Coarse rice was selling at Tk 17-18 a kg. Najirshail atTk 19-21 and Minikit at Tk 20-22 yesterday as on the previous days.
All OMS centres in the capital closed by noon as the .daliy quota of 500kg per dealer were exhausted and hundreds of people returned backcmpty-handed.
Reports received from many areas said there were no OMS opera -tionsinthe areas yesterday.
In Dhaka, the government opened 160 OMS centres in 80 kitchen markets and each was supposed to sell 500kg every alternativeday.
The food ministry plans to open 30 OMS centres in Chittagong, 25 in Khulna, 20 in Rajshahi, 15in Barisal, 10 in Sylhct, and 5,3 and 10 each in each district headquarters, upazila and union.
Official sources said the government has a stock of eight lakh tonnes of rice and one lakh tonnes ofwheat. Under the OMS programme, it will sell 5,500 tonnes a day.
No OMS centre was found in the capital's Rajabazar, Monipuripara, SEE PAGE 11 COL 2 FROM PAGE 1
Tejkunipara, Karwan Bazar and Town Hall area of Mohammadpur, Azimpur and Hatirpul, Jatrabar and Fakirapool areas.
Many poor men and women told this correspondent they have heard the government would sell rice at a lower price but found nothing like this.
In some areas, OMS centres allegedly opened at less known places to avoid gathering of people.
'We have sold three kg rich each 170 people till noon," said an employee at a Palashi Bazar sale centre.
Our northern region correspondent reported that Rajshahi food office opened 20 OMS centers but no rice was sold on the first day as belated opening created chaos.
Sale of rice at the local Uphshahar New Market OMS centre started in the afternoon and closed immediately.
People queued in front of the OMS centre only to be told that the sale would start today, sources said .
Deputy Controller of Food Sayed Ahsanul Kabir told journalists they received the order for sale of rice through 20 centers Wednesday afternoon and would start sale tomorrow (Friday).