RAJSHAHI, May 28, 2020 (BSS) – As part of its instant humanitarian support to tackle the present COVID-19 related adverse situation, the government has distributed 18,990 tonnes of rice and Taka 11.70 crore in cash benefitting around 25.30 lakh families comprising 1.14 crore people in need in Rajshahi division.
Humayun Kabir Khandaker, Commissioner of Rajshahi Division, said each of 16,53,877 families received 10 kilograms of rice while another 8,75,940 families got Taka 1,000 in cash for baby food and other emergency expenses each amid the crisis in all eight districts in the division till 8am today.
A total of 2,792 tonnes of rice and over Taka 1.65 crore in cash are in the stock at present for distribution in line with the present uninterrupted efforts of reaching the relief assistance among the jobless and other affected people.
Meanwhile, 2,184.23 tonnes of rice and 12,095.55 tonnes of flour have been distributed at Taka 10 and Taka 18 per kilogram respectively among the families in need under the government’s open market sale (OMS) programme in the division till Wednesday last, said Raihanul Kabir, regional controller of food.
Apart from this, 1,30,830.90 tonnes of rice was distributed among 7,73,026 enlisted poor and extreme poor households under the government’s “Food Friendly Programme” till the same day.
Another 4,500 tonnes of rice is also being distributed among the needy families under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme, Raihanul Kabir said, adding that each of 1.5 lakh beneficiary families is getting 30 kilograms of rice every month free of cost continuously.
Various other government and non-government entities are distributing foodstuffs among the needy families to handle the pandemic situation.
Rajshahi City Corporation has, so far, disbursed 378 tonnes of rice, five tonnes of flour, 64 tonnes of pulse, 67 tonnes of potato, 2,000 packets of baby food, 350 tonnes of seasonal vegetables and 3,950 packets of cooked foods benefiting around 1.39 lakh jobless and poor families in the city.
Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said 7,400 people get foodstuffs and cooked foods as the gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina till the day of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday last On the other hand, 69,191 personal protective equipment (PPE) have, so far, been distributed among the frontline healthcare workforces to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting them from the virus infection. There are 46,194 more PPE in stock for distribution.
A total of 935 doctors and 1,669 nurses are working in 172 public and private hospitals in the division. Around 1,914 beds, out of the total 4,899, have already been prepared for treatment of the possible COVID-19 infected patients. There are arrangements of 462 beds in isolation units here and 19 ambulances for emergency transportation and treatment of the infected patients.