Poor oblivious of OMS
Misappropriation of allotment alleged
Staff Correspondent
The government's Open Market Sale (OMS) programme passed its fourth day yesterday with many poor people in Dhaka and other parts of the country expressing their ignorance of any OMS centres in their areas and many others alleging misappropriation of allotted rice in areas where the drive is going on. OMS dealers however said the daily allotment of 510 kg of rice each is too small for the large number of low-income people who rush to buy the Tk13 a kg coarse rice. Visits to a number of the capital's kitchen markets yesterday showed that most of them were without any OMS centres while a few others had such centres but they stopped sale of rice by 11:00am or by noon at the latest. Locals and shopkeepers at Rampura kitchen market said they have not seen any OMS centre in the area although they have come to know about the programme through television. An OMS centre at Malibagh kitchen market closed at 11:30 am. The dealer was not found there. One of the two workers at the centre said, " We have sold out our today's allotment." Khadiza Begum, who runs a tea stall beside the market, said with annoyance, "They (dealer) close the centre after giving OMS rice to only a few people and then sell the rest at higher prices." A cobbler at the entrance to the market said he is not aware of sale of government-allotted rice at reduced price. Many others also said they knew nothing about it The OMS centre at Shahjahanpur Railway Super Market also closed by 11:30am and two workers there said the day's allotment was already sold out. Local people and traders at Khilgaon kitchen market said there is no OMS centre at the market. Reports received from Rajshahi said sale of OMS rice yesterday ended by 11:00 am with no major irregularities. Our Barisal correspondent reported that wholesale price of rice came down by Tk 50 to 100 per quintal yesterday but it had no impact on the retail price. OMS drive has not yet started in Pirojpur because of political pressure and indecision on dealer recruitment. Fourteen dealers in Gournadi upazila have received 15 tonnes of OMS rice with no sale centre opened as yet. In Barguna, the authorities initiated fresh recruitment of OMS dealers yesterday, and the programme is yet to start. Our Bogra corespondent said many people had to return empty handed from the OMS centres as the day's allotment was too inadequate to meet the requirement.
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