Government to procure 21 lakh tonnes food grains, says PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the government would procure 21 lakh tonnes of food grains in the current season to ensure food security in the country and fair prices of the farmers’ produces.

‘The harvesting has already begun. We’ll purchase 21 lakh tonnes food grains  this season so that the country doesn’t experience any food crisis in future and we could continue extending food assistance to the people,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, of the 21 lakh tonnes, the government will buy 8 lakh tonnes of paddy, 10 lakh tonnes rice, 2.20 lakh tonnes Atap rice and 80,000 tonnes wheat.

The prime minister made the announcement while interacting with the people’s representatives and officials of eight districts of Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions on the present coronavirus situation in the country through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka this morning.

The districts are Manikganj, Gazipur, Tangail and Kishoreganj of Dhaka division and Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrokona and Mymensingh of Mymensingh division.

The prime minister also said the government has taken special measures for smooth supply of the essential goods in the upcoming Ramadan.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the people to follow the health codes and instructions properly to contain the spread of COVID-19 outbreak.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has undertaken various plans and measures to keep up the pace of the country’s economy .

‘We’ve taken short, medium and long-term plans to deal with the impacts of the pandemic and keep the country’s economy dynamic in the next three years,’ she said.

The prime minister said her government has announced a set of stimulus packages of Tk 95,619 crore which is 3.3 per cent of total GDP to offset the economic fallout of the COVID-19.

‘We’ve prepared the packages keeping the mind the people of all classes and professions including farmers, workers, potters, blacksmiths, fishermen, day-labourers, weavers and small traders,’ she said.

She said the government simultaneously announced packages for small, cottage, medium and heavy industries including garments, and the affected people will get loans from this at low interest rates.

Sheikh Hasina said the government will issue 50 lakh more ration cards for the poor and distressed people to provide them with rice at Tk 10 per kilogram in this perilous moment.

‘With the issuance of 50 lakh ration cards, the number of ration card holders will stand at 1 crore meaning that at least five crore people will get its benefits,’ she said.

‘We’ve stopped distribution of extra rice which was supposed to be sold from trucks after various anomalies came to our notice in this regard,’ she said.

The premier said she has tasked a secretary in every district to monitor the relief distribution and whether people follow the health guidelines properly.

‘Simultaneously, we asked our party leaders and workers to form committees up to the ward level and help prepare a list of the genuine needy people so they get succours in this perilous time,’ she added.

The prime minister said the government has declared a Tk 5000-crore incentive package for the agriculture sector to increase food production.

The prime minister said she has directed the authorities concerned to set up haats and markets by maintaining adequate distance. ‘We’ve made these arrangements so that the life of the people doesn’t stall totally,’ she said.

Pointing out that the harvesting of paddy is underway, Sheikh Hasina called upon all, including teachers, students and the people of other professions, to help the farmers in cutting paddy.

‘We have allocated Tk 200 crore and are giving 50-70 per cent subsidy to the peasants so that they can buy machineries for this. Following my directives, the leaders and activists of Chhatra League have already stood beside the farmers for harvesting paddy,’ she said.

Referring to the forecast of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the premier said the world may experience famine and great economic depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘But we’ve fertile land and hard-working people and we’re also self-reliant in food. So, everybody should be engaged in producing foods whatever and wherever they can so that the country doesn’t face any crisis of food, rather we can export,’ she said.

The prime minister said some essential factories like pharmaceutical industries will have to be reopened. ‘The holy month of Ramadan is ahead, so, we cannot keep closed all factories and we’ve to reopen some places,’ she said.

‘We’ve made all kinds of arrangements, including preparing 507 institutions across the country for the treatment of the patients,’ she said.

Pointing out allegations of supplying sub-standard equipment to the medical professionals, the prime minister asked the authorities concerned to look into the matter whether the companies supplied the quality equipment like masks and PPE in proper way.

In this connection, she referred to the Mohanagar Hospital in Dhaka, saying that quality equipment were not supplied there. ‘So, you should look into the matter,’ she said.

PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the videoconference, while cabinet secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam, PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim, PMO secretary Tofazzal Hossain Mian and PM’s personal physician Dr ABM Abdullah were present at Ganabhaban.

Ministers, parliament members, district administrators, deputy commissioners, police supers, civil surgeons, imams, nurses and representatives of the armed forces were connected to the videoconference from their respective districts.

Liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque joined the videoconference from Gazipur, while state minister for information Murad Hasan and AL organizing secretary Mirza Azam joined it from Jamalpur.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net