‘10m people to get special cards to buy essentials at fair prices’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said 10 million people in the country will get special cards to buy daily essential commodities at fair prices.

 "We've targeted one crore (10 million) people. We will give them special cards so that they can buy daily essential commodities at a fair price," she said while addressing a meeting with the leaders of the 14-party alliance at Ganabhaban on Tuesday, reports BSS.

Stating that 3.8 million people are already receiving financial assistance, she said, "More would be added to these people and finally, a total of 10 million people will get this card."

She mentioned another arrangement, saying that 5.0 million people have already a card each by which they can buy rice at only Tk 10.

Sheikh Hasina continued, "We will extend support to 5.0 million-plus in total 10 million people with special cards so that they can run life and livelihood by getting the daily necessities at a fair price."

She also said that the government has enough food in stocks, adding, "Alhamdulillah, we still have 1.8 million metric tonnes of food grains in stocks and there is no problem."

Urging the countrymen to increase crop production, the prime minister said no land in the country should be left fallow.

She said, "No one's land should remain uncultivated rather you should produce what you can. Every area will produce even something. That is my goal so that we can meet the food demand."