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VGF cards go to middle-class

AL, BNP men get most cards in Khagrachhari; many poor deprived

JASIM MAJUMDER, Khagrachhari
Most of the vulnerable group feeding (VGF) cards in Khagrachhari municipality have been provided to Awami League and BNP men of middle class families depriving poor people under the VGF project.
The cards have been issued on political consideration though the party men are not eligible as per the terms and conditions of the project, sources said.
Even theVGF cards have been issued against the government service holders' wives, daughters or sons.
During the visit in the municipality area on Tuesday and yesterday. The Daily Star correspondent found anomalies of VGF card distribution and fraud in weights.
Administrative Officer of the municipality Nazrul Islam said they have issued 5,000 cards among the vulnerable groups. Of die VGF cards,
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3600 VGF cards have been distributed through 12 councillors while 600 cards through local lawmaker Zatindra Lal Tripura. 600 cards through Municipality Mayor Mohammad Joynal Abedin and 200 cards among the freedom fighters and orphans.
"We have issued the cards considering the economic background, social and poverty status of the helpless, landless and hopeless people," he said.
On the other hand, some cardholders alleged that the municipality authorities are also cheating with them by giving lesser quantity against a card as they are getting 8/9 kgs of rice on an average instead of 10 kgs against a VGF card.
"Even, the municipality authorities have not maintained accurate weight while giving rice against a VGF card and the rice is being weighed in a bucket, said VGF card holder Ershad Ali of Shantinagar area.
Ershad Ali, also the leader of municipality BNP, has been awarded the card as blessings from the mayor and district BNP joint secretary Mohammad Joynal Abedin.
Though 200 cards are reserved for orphans and freedom fighters, most of the vulnerable freedom fighters did not get the VGF card, deprived freedom fighter Mohammad Fazlul Haque said yesterday.
It was also learned that most of the cardholders are selling their rice just hundred yards away under the nose of both municipality authorities and local administration while a section of rice traders are buying those rice at a low price.
Wishing anonymity, an indigenous cardholder said she took rice against a VGF card of his brother who is a leader of Juho League.
Municipality Councillor Mohammad Zafar Ahmed said most of the vulnerable families under his ward got VGF cards but sometime accurate amounts are not given due to negligence of his men responsible for weighing.
Asked about the financial condition ofVGF cardholders, Municipality Mayor Joynal Abedin said most of the people of his areas are involved in politics and admitted that cent percent cardholders belong to major political parties--Awami League and BNP.
He also admitted that most of the cardholders are middle class citizens of the municipality and number of pool people is negligible.