Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned of stern actions against those found responsible for playing foul with people's food. “We will strictly enforce the anti-hoarding law so that none can create artificial crisis of food,” the premier said in parliament yesterday.
Hasina was replying to lawmakers' queries on the present food situation in the country, her government's effort to control prices of essentials and tackle any crisis by importing food grains.
The PM said there is no food crisis in the country and her government is very careful about ensuring food supply to people.
“But there are some unscrupulous syndicates who create artificial food crisis to hike price of food and cause suffering to the people. We must take stern actions against those engaged in playing foul with food of hungry people,” she said.
The prime minister informed the House in detail about her government's various measures to keep food price at a tolerable level through open market sale, fair price cards, social safety net programme, etc.
In a scripted reply, she also described the government's different steps to increase food production in the country by strengthening agriculture sector.
On tackling the climate change impact on agriculture, the premier said her government has collected drought resistance Nerica paddy seeds from Africa.
Cultivation of this paddy is now under trial at a farm in Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporations. Nerica can be cultivated three seasons a year, she said.
Hasina took 20 minutes out of 30 minutes of question hour session to read the eight-page reply to a single written question on country's food situation.
Hasina also described various measures taken by her government to bring pace in the civil administration by utilising modern technology including automation of the public service commission, introduction of e-tendering, coordination with field level administration through video conferencing, introduction of e-centre at 4,501 union parishads, etc.
On holding union parishad elections, the premier said her government will provide all out support to the Election Commission to hold the elections in a free, fair and non-partisan manner.
News Source: The Daily Star