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Govt to buy 28 lakh MT food grains this year

26 lakh MT to be distributed under social safety net programmes

Staff Correspondent
Food Minister Abdur Razzaque yesterday said the government has set a target of procuring 28 lakh tonnes of food grains in the current fiscal year of which 26.75 lakh tonnes will be distributed qnder public food distribution system.
Of 28 lakh tonnes of food grains, 16 lakh tonnes will be procured from domestic market, 1.50 lakh tonnes are expected as aid while 10.50 lakh tonnes will be imported.
Besides, the government will take up employment generation programme of Tk 1,176 crore to create 14 lakh employ-
ments for the hardcore poor during lean season.
Razzaque was addressing a press briefing at his ministry.
"At least 23 lakh tonnes of food grains will be distributed under various social safety net programmes. This is probably the largest amount to be used for the programme," the minister said.
He said that ensuring food for the poor is a high priority of the government, but expressed concern that such big allocation for social safety net is done by diverting money from the development programmes.
Health, education and infrastructure
sectors could get more allocation if social safety net required less money, Razzaque said.
"This (social safety net! is where the development partners should come forward. But, unfortunately the foreign aid has come down significantly, despite various promises," he told newsmen.
Still, the government has decided to expand the social safety net programmes, considering the fact that around six crore people live below the poverty line, Razzaque noted.
Under the programmes, 5.50 lakh tonnes of food grains will be distributed
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under Vulnerable Group Feeding. 4 lakh tonnes under Test Relief, 3.75 lakh tonnes under Food for Work, 2.65 lakh tonnes under Vulnerable Group Development, 64,000 tonnes under Gratuitous Relief and 75,000 tonnes for Chittagong Hill Tracts and other programmes.
The government's food procurement drive in the ongoing Boro season has so far yielded 7.19 lakh tonnes of food grains.
Razzaque, however, said that one of the problems in procurement is low storage capacity of the existing food stocks.
Presently, the government godowns have the capacity for 15 lakh tonnes of food grains, which is not enough for a disaster prone country.
The government will construct a concrete silo of 50,000 tonnes capacity in Mongla and godowns of 1.10 lakh tonnes in die northern region, he said.
Referring to media reports that a good amount of rice stored in the government silos will be rotten soon, the minister said the government has checked the stock, but found nothing to substantiate such allegation.
There is no possibility of the food grains rotting until September-October, Razzaque said.