Hoarders must face jail, if they don't change their ways: Food minister
To bring the rice price to a tolerable limit, the traders must change their attitude toward making extra profit, he said
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder today warned against illegal hoarding and said if they [the hoarders] do not rectify themselves, they will have to go to jail.
"Illegal hoarders would not spare only to realise penalty...they have to go jail if they do not correct themselves," he said.
The food minister made this statement while he was exchanging views with people's representatives and district officials of the Naogaon deputy commissioner conference room here this morning.
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To bring the rice price to a tolerable limit, he said the traders must change their attitude toward making extra profit, adding: "Millers, wholesalers, retailers' corporate houses are equally responsible behind the rice price hike."
Talking about public food distribution, Majumder said: "Food distribution remains underway under the Open Market Sale (OMS), particularly for the common people. A digital card has been prepared, and the OMS will be distributed soon through the cards, which will ultimately stop the repetition of rice taking by a particular person."
After approval of the new act, the government could take strict action against the illegal hoarders, the food minister noted.
The "Production, Storage, Transfer, Transportation, Supply, Distribution and Marketing of Food Products (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Bill, 2023" with a provision of maximum life imprisonment for illegal hoarding of foodstuff already has been passed in the parliament, he said.
Now, the enactment of rules is going on.
The food minister also asked the Director General of the Department of Food to issue an order to cancel leave and weekly holidays of the food department employees during the anti-hoarding drive.
Chaired by Deputy Commissioner of Naogaon Mohammad Golam Mawla, the view-exchange meeting was also attended, among others, by different district-level officials, Civil Surgeon of the district Abu Hena Md Raihanuzzaman Sarker, Upazila Parishad Chairmen, Upazila Nirbahi officer (UNO) and media representatives.
