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Govt dispels fear about rice price

Staff Correspondent
Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque has termed expected' the recent rise in rice price by Tk 1 or 2 a kg, and said the government is ready to launch various social safety net programmes to check further price hike.
"Price hike of rice in many cases is beneficial to farmers," he told journalists at his office yesterday.
The government is closely monitoring the market situation and would do everything to keep rice price within the common man's reach, he said.
Under the social safety net programmes, the minister said, they would introduce an income generating programme for the hardcore poor in Sidr, Aila and monga affected areas. “First
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phase of it will begin on October 15."
Asked what if price of rice continues to rise. Razzaque said the government has a stock of 12 lakh tonnes of rice, and it is prepared to start programmes like Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF), Test Relief (TR) and Kabikha to keep the market stable. “We can also resume rations for garment workers.”
On export of aromatic rice, Razzaque said the government is yet to permit any one to export it despite an earlier decision in this regard. The government is watching the market. "And if necessary, it may review the decision,” he added.
Earlier, at a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Saber Azam at his Secretariat office, the minister asked him to take more effective initiative so that the Rohingya refugees could return to Myanmar immediately.
“We are very keen to resolve the matter permanently," he told the UNHCR. “We want to resolve it (refugee problem) bilaterally through discussions with Myanmar."
Over 24,000 registered Rohingya refugees are staying in two camps in Cox's Bazar district. But the number of unregistered refugees is about four lakh.
Sources noted that the refugees are a huge burden for Bangladesh. They are also creating various social problems and are getting involved in criminal activities.
The minister said many of the Rohingyas repatriated to their country later returned to Bangladesh. To stop this, he said, the UNHRC should move to see that the refugees could live in a congenial atmosphere after their return to their country.
Saber Azam suggested that the Rohingya issue be taken up at the US-Myanmar talks in future. But Razzaque said Dhaka does not want interference of any third party in the matter.