The Office of the Regional Controller of Food Rajshahi Division has cancelled the licenses of 61 rice mills from different district in Rajshahi division for not supplying rice to the government food warehouse despite signing an agreement with the Food Department.
Sources said that 162 rice mill owners signed an agreement with the Food Department to supply rice to government warehouses during the last Aman season. According to the agreement, the owners of 30 rice mills only delivered 80 percent of the promised rice to the warehouses while 71 other rice mill owners delivered 50 percent of the promised rice to the warehouse.
61 rice mill owners, however, did not deliver any rice as per the agreement. After reviewing the situation, the Food Department recently revoked the licenses of 161 rice mill owners. These rice mill owners will no longer be able to produce, sell, market, and supply rice to rice mills, the sources said.
Earlier, on March 19, the regional and district food departments had sued 913 rice mill owners in Rajshahi Division for not signing contracts with the food department to supply rice, even though they were contractually obligated. The department officials recommended to the ministry to take action against these rice mill owners.
On April 2, the ministry revoked the food production licenses of 61 rice mill owners, following instructions from the ministry.
Farhad Hossain Chakder, general secretary of the Naogaon District Rice Mill Owners Group, said that many rice mill owners have suffered financial crisis due to the government supplying rice at the fixed price.
Many rice mill owners lost as much as Tk 2,000 per ton while supplying rice to the government food warehouse, he claimed. Many have not been able to supply rice due to the loss. 'If the government gives the right price, then all mill owners will supply rice,' he added.
Omar Faruk, Assistant Deputy Director of the Rajshahi Food Department's Divisional Office, said, "We had sent a recommendation to the ministry to take action against 913 rice mill owners in Rajshahi Division who did not deliver rice or who were eligible for contract but did not sign contracts."
Of these, 61 rice mills have had their licenses revoked, he added.
RHF/HKJ
