‘Govt ensures availability of safe food’

Food Minister Adv Qamrul Islam on Tuesday said the government has ensured availability of safe foods.

“The government has developed 146 social safety nets. We are now self-reliant in food production. The buying capacity of the people has also gone up. Due to lack of awareness in taking balanced diet, the nutrition problem is still there. But the government has taken various steps to address the problem,” he said.

The minister was addressing the inaugural function of a programme held for distributing of pushti chal (rice high in nutrition value) organized by Dhaka district administration in Kalindi union of Keraniganj, reports BSS.

“Only those who are suffering from malnutrition will come under the project. This rice has sufficient vitamins. It will be possible to meet the shortage of vitamins through the rice. Five million families in the country will get the rice at a cost of Tk 10 per kg,” Qamrul added.

The minister assured that initiatives will be taken to make the rice easily available in the market so that commoners can take the benefit of this.

Presided over by Dhaka deputy commissioner Abu Saleh Mohhamd Ferdous Khan, the function was also addressed by World Food Programme official Richard Regan, Director General of Directorate General of Food Md. Arifur Rahman Apu, Food Secretary Shahabuddin Ahmed and additional secretary Md Omar Faruk, among others.