Rice price soars in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Sept 18: Consumers here, especially the poor and low-income people, are badly affected by the abnormal price hike of rice for the last couple of months. Now the minimum rate of per kilogram rice is being sold at Tk 60 in different local markets in the city.
In this circumstance, the government has started selling rice in the open markets from Sunday. Rice price has abruptly increased as the recent rain and flood destroyed the paddy as well as the other crops in the district.  
During a visit in different whole-sale rice markets in Saheb Bazaar, Kumarpara, Kadirganj, this correspondent found that there are enough stock of rice, but the price is continuously increasing here. Rice price has abruptly increased before the Eid festival here.   
Talking to The Daily Observer, Mil Prasad, a whole-seller of Saheb Bazaar of the city said that thick Sorna was being sold at Tk 50 per kilogram, BR 28 Tk 54 per kilogram, Miniket Tk 60 per kilogram, Payjam Tk 58 per kilogram, Nazirshail Tk 62 per kilogram and Basmoti Tk 58 per kilogram in the last two days. But now the thick rice is being sold at minimum Tk 60 in the markets here.
It increased from Tk five to 10 in every verity of rice. Besides, Kalizira is being sold at Tk 90 per kilogram and Chinigur is being sold at Tk 110 per kilogram. Thick Sorna paddy was being sold Tk 1500 per maund in last Saturday but now we did not found thick Sorna paddy after visiting different markets of the nine upazilas here. The price would be decreased after Aus-Aman paddy harvesting in this region, he hopped.
Sajjad Hossain, a day-labour, who comes to buy rice in Shalbagan market, said that how the rice price is increasing day by day, the poor and day labourer have to live taking food in time in a day. He can earn Tk 250 to 300 after working hard whole day. But he does not get the work regularly. If he buys two kilogram of rice in a day, then, there is no way to buy another necessary commodities for the family.   
Allegation has been raised against the western rice-mills owners and syndicate who control the rice price in the markets. They buy rice in low price from the farmers and stoke it. They create an artificial shortage of rice and increased the rice price for quick profit.
More than 300 rice-mills in different districts including Rajshahi, Naogaon, Mymenshing, Kustia and Bogra. Among them, there are 30 big mills owners, businessmen and syndicates who control the rice price in the markets. They are responsible for rice price, the consumers said.
Rajshahi District Food Officer Shariful Haque said that following the abnormal rice price hike, the government has started selling rice in the open markets from Sunday. They are selling rice in open markets here setting up 15 points and OMS Diller in the city.
Rice is being sold at Tk 15 per kilogram in six days of the week, each Diller would sell 1,000 kilogram of rice per day.  A family member can buy minimum five kilograms of rice from the Diller. It will continue without getting further declaration, the officer added.