Beneficiaries of the government’s Food-Friendly Programme in Chandipur Union (Ward 5) of Indurkani upazila, Pirojpur, have accused a local dealer of distributing less than the allocated amount of rice. Although each beneficiary is supposed to receive 30 kg of rice at a subsidized rate of Tk 15 per kg, many reported receiving only 27 to 28 kg per sack.
During Thursday’s distribution at Chandipur Bazar, rice was measured using buckets instead of proper weighing machines. Several beneficiaries verified the weight at other locations and confirmed the shortfall of 2–3 kg per sack.
A beneficiary from Ward 8, Anik Chandra Das, stated, “I received only 28 kg instead of 30 kg.” Abul Kalam from Ward 9 shared a similar experience, noting, “If we raise concerns, we face trouble.”
Multiple locals alleged that such discrepancies occur regularly under the program.
In response, Abdul Hai, proprietor of the distributing agency Nobin Enterprise, claimed, “We’re using a 17-liter bucket. There might be slight variations. Around 150 cards have been served, and we are now measuring more accurately.”
When contacted, Indurkani UNO Hasan-bin Muhammad Ali stated, “If a formal complaint is received, we will investigate and take appropriate action.”
