The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Netrakona

The Adviser for Food and Disaster Management Dr M M Shawkat Ali said that the farmers of the country are getting fair prices of their hard-earned Boro paddy this year as the government could fix the prices of the Boro paddy and started launching the countrywide Boro paddy and rice procurement drive in due time.

In this context, the food adviser emphasised the need for successful implementation of the countrywide Boro paddy and rive procurement drive programme to help the government attaining a sufficient stock position of foodgrains in the government food-godowns to ensure food security for the country's people . He was addressing a view-exchanging meeting on "Food situation and Food Procurement drive" with the Officers of District and Upazila Administration and District Food Department, foodgrain businessmen and rice mill owners of the district at the conference room of the DC office here on Monday. Presided over by deputy commissioner Netrakona Mohammad Aiyatullah Mojumder, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Director General (DG) of food directorate Peus Kosta, Commanding Officer of BDR Netrakona Lt Col Jowherul Islam, district food controller Mohammad Hanif, Thana Nirbahi Officer of Purbadhala upazila Haider Ali, local food businessman Mustafijur Rahman Rezvi and Journalist Muklesur Rahman Khan.

The food adviser issued instructions to the district food procurement committee for closely monitoring the Boro paddy and rice procurement drive in the district to ensure that no farmer is harassed by any quarter, during the period of supplying paddy in the food godowns.

In this connection, he sounded a note of warning as saying that stern action would be taken against the persons who would be responsible for suffering of any farmer. Dr. Shawkat also underlined the need for retaining vigilance of all to check any incident of smuggling of Boro paddy across the border. Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Netrakona Mohammad Aiyatullah Mojumder briefed the adviser about the overll food situation and on-going Boro paddy and rice procurement drive of the district. During the briefing the DC informed that the district has achieved a bumper production of Boro paddy this year as over six lakh metric tons of Boro paddy has been p;roduced in the district. Meanwhil, nearly two thousands metric tons of Boro rice has been procured in different food-godawns of the district where the target was fixed to procure 22,000 metric tonnes of Boro rice and 10,000 metric tonnes of Boro paddy by the district food procurement committee.