The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is set to ensure smooth supply of essentials to low income people in eight divisional cities in order to keep prices of essentials at affordable level during the holy month of Ramadan, set to start on March 2
TCB has procured 1,560 tonnes of dates, besides sugar, lentils and edible oil from local sources as well as imported grams for sale among low income TCB beneficiary families.
Recent news update show that people keep on waiting in city street corners in long queue for supply. But short supply keeps them waiting for TCB trucks and when they come, they immediately run short of supply.
Humayun Kabir, TCB spokesperson told the Daily Observer that "Analysing the previous years' market trends during the Ramadan, we have taken enough preparations and stocked commodities" he added.
The Planning and Education Advisor Prof Wahiduddin Mahmudsaid said three products -- edible oil, rice and oil, will be sold in divisional cities outside Dhaka through mobile trucks.
The products will be sold in special trucks throughout the entire month of Ramadan. This program will continue from the current month of February as well.
According to the TCB sources, the Advisory Council Committee has given in-principle approval on Tuesday to sell TCB products in eight divisional cities.
Meanwhile, TCB continued to sell products regularly at subsidized prices to families holding Smart Family Cards across the country. In addition, TCB has started selling commodities in Dhaka and Chittagong cities from Monday, and supplying five products, including bottled soybean oil, at subsidized prices in open trucks.
Sources said dates imported through TCB will be sold from truck before Ramadan starts and throughout the month of Ramadan. To maintain the quality of these dates, it is necessary to store them in cold storage.
Therefore, 417.050 tonnes of dates that cannot be stored in cold storage have been stored in rented cold storage in Siddirganj and Narayanganj. Later, there will be no need to rent cold storage for the dates.
Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin said, "We have started the sale program through truck among 12 lakh families in a total of 13 areas, including all divisional headquarters and five poverty-stricken areas.
TCB supplies products to 6.3 lakh families at subsidized prices. Khulna region has the highest success rate in the smart card conversion work. The remaining card activation will be completed by 24th of this month, thereby increasing the number of beneficiaries."
In this program, launched on February 10 after a long closure, ordinary consumers, along with Smart Family Card holders, can also buy these products from the truck by standing in line.
A buyer can buy a maximum of two liters of soybean oil, two kilograms of lentils and grams, one kilogram of sugar and 500 grams of dates. However, the sale of grams and dates has not started yet.
