Rangpur Correspondent

The abnormal price hike of rice has pushed thousands of people in the district to stand in the long queue in front of OMS outlets everyday to collect rice at fixed price.

But the OMS shops cannot supply rice accordingly to the quota among the people, rather the quantity due is reduced. A total of 21 outlets have been opened in the town and 80 in eight upazillas to match with the deteriorating situation.

Several thousands of people stand in the line everyday to collect rice that has compelled the OMS to reduce the quantity of rice to 2 kg from of 5 kg. The officials of BDR outlet in the town told that though they were supposed to sell 5 kg of rice per head, they could not do it due to the over rush.

The number of people in the line is five times higher than it was supposed beforehand. Mousumi Begum, wife of a rickshaw puller, who along with her two year's child came to the BDR outlet early in the morning told that she stood in the queue for rice. After several hours of struggle, she collected only two kg of rice.

A school girl Lata, who reads in class five at Police Lines Primary School said that she stood in the line early in the morning to collect rice but remained in the same position till 11.00 pm on account of huge gathering. She could not collect rice even after stranding several hours in the line, she lamented.

Many other students viz. Sohel, Momotaj, Latif and Rakhi were in no better position than Lata. Motiar Rahman, a government employee told that he waited for OMS rice at Keranipara Chaurasta mor of the town early in the morning as he could not maintain his family with his wage in the soaring market.

At some OMS outlets of the town and elsewhere of the district the huge gathering created altercation among the people centering to hold the possession in the queue which left thirty five injured during the last three days. The spiral situation in the market created a famine like situation in the district early in the year.

People have lost their purchasing capacity in this untamed market. Many of the families could not manage meals twice a day. A cross section of people thus have urged the govt to increase the number of OMS shops and the quantity of rice to combat the heated situation.