The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

As an effort to combat price hike of food grains the Government Monday allowed Bangladesh Rifles to import another one-lakh tones of rice, which became dearer during the last couple of weeks.

The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs approved the proposal alongside exempting BDR from government restrictions to complete import of 90,000 tones of rice for which they were earlier given approval.

After the meeting, held at the finance ministry, Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam told newsmen that BDR has been given the permission to import one-lakh tones of rice as they have showed success in importing rice and delivering it to the people at fair price.

Out of the 90,000 tones that BDR were permitted to import, they have imported 71,000 tones so far. Out of this amount they sold 51,000 tones to the food ministry and BDR themselves sold the remaining 20,000 tones.

BDR would import the additional one-lakh tones under the same process.

The meeting also gave permission to the food ministry to buy two crore pieces of sacking and relax the import policy on them, for the ongoing process of food grain procurement. Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation has been approved to supply the sacks.

Azizul also informed reporters that the Rural Electrification Board has been given permission to buy 6,000 transformers to keep the irrigation pumps operational over the next season.

To ensure quick import and supply of these transformers the rules of international tender have been relaxed to make the tenure 10 days instead of 21 days. The meeting also gave a nod to the proposed Dhaka City Underground Railway project for enlisting it with the Private Infrastructure Committee (PICOM) for considering it as per Bangladesh Private Sector Infrastructure Guideline.

A Thai private firm offered the government to construct a 52-km underground subway across the capital at a cost of Tk 6,000 crore.

The project is considered to be a prime solution to Dhaka city's vexing traffic congestion.

As per the proposal, the Thai private firm will implement the project on BOT basis within three years from signing of the contract.

The committee also decided to form a high-level committee, headed by the Energy Secretary, to further scrutinise the proposal for holding the 3rd round of international bidding for hydrocarbon exploration in the country's maritime area.

As per the Advisers' Committee's decision, representatives from Finance Ministry, IMED, NBR, Law Ministry, Navy and Bangladesh Bank will be included in the Energy Secretary-led committee, which was asked to place its report before the Cabinet within two weeks.

The meeting attended by other members of the committee included Communications Adviser MA Matin, Food and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury and Health Adviser ASM Matiur Rahman.