In the wake of depleting food stock and sluggish public procurement of foodgrains, the government has started providing cash instead of rice and wheat to implement its Test Relief and Food for Work programmes.
Those who carry out tasks such as repair of roads, drains and culverts under the schemes will get cash till the end of the current fiscal year, food ministry officials told this newspaper yesterday.
Every year, the government takes up rural infrastructure development schemes meant for creating temporary employment opportunities for the poor.
It allocates three to four lakh tonnes of rice and wheat for paying the workers under the programmes. In this year s budget, Tk 1,600 crore has been allocated for the purpose, said the ministry officials.