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Sale of substandard rice alleged in Jibannagar


Published : 21 Jun 2022 08:31 PM

Officials and employees of Jibannagar Upazila Government Food Warehouse in Chuadanga have been accused of mixing substandard rice with good quality rice stored in the warehouse. There are allegations that the officials and employees of the food warehouse have been buying low quality rice from the market and mixing it with good quality rice for a long time.

These low quality unfit rice were given to the beneficiaries under various social security networks including VGF and VGD.

There are allegations that the beneficiaries could not eat this low quality rice and sold it elsewhere as cattle feed. The matter came to the notice of the locals on Monday morning when they were mixing low quality rice with good rice.

It has been learned on the basis of multiple allegations that Kawsar Hossain and office assistant Rakib Hossain have been involved in various irregularities and corruption through night watchman Masud Alam and labor chief Ramzan Ali. It is rumored that they bought substandard rice from the listed rice mill owners through corruption and distributed it among the beneficiaries.

On condition of anonymity, several rice mill owners said that the food warehouse officials have to pay a bribe of Rs 1 per kg for good quality rice and Rs 7-8 per kg for substandard rice. If he does not give a bribe, he does not want to take rice with various excuses. There are further allegations that after buying low quality rice from the market, 10-12 workers would close the door of the warehouse from inside from 5 am to 10 am on the instructions of food warehouse officer Kawsar Hossain and mix the low quality rice with good rice. Even though the misdeeds have been going on for a long time, the matter was caught by the locals on Monday morning.

A rice mill owner, who did not want to be named, said food warehouse officer Kawsar Hossain stays out most of the time without having a regular office. And night watchman Masud Rana, being a local, collects bribe money from the mill owners. Although Masud Rana was a night watchman, he walked around the office area in the guise of an officer. It is heard from the people of the area that Masood Rana now owns assets worth crores of rupees. A secretary of the union council said on condition of anonymity that this time before Eid-ul-Fitr, VGF had supplied substandard rice from the food warehouse. Which was unfit for food. That is why the rice was returned.

According to the people's representatives, the rice supplied from the Upazila food warehouses during various natural calamities, Eid special VGF, VGD, OMS, TR, GR and other development activities of the government is of low quality and unfit for human consumption. All these rice are mostly used as cow feed. There are also allegations of underweight rice. These matters have been complained to the food warehouse officer more than once. But no results were found.

When contacted, Upazila Food Warehouse Officer Kawsar Hossain said that the allegation of adulterating low quality rice with good rice was not correct. The rice was being repacked on average to supply VGD rice. District Food Controller AKM Shahidul Haque said, "I am not aware of any purchase of substandard rice." However, if there is no 30 kg packet for VGD rice supply, it can be repacked. If the workers do the right thing then why should they leave the warehouse. I'm looking into the matter.