Online monitoring may bring transparency to Food Ministry

As part of modernising and updating the Ministry of Food, food warehouses and Regional Food Offices, District Offices, and Upazila Offices will be monitored online. Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, hopes this will ensure more transparency and accountability in the activities of the food department.

He made the remarks speaking as chief guest at the signing ceremony of "Barisal Steel Silo Construction and Online Food Stock Monitoring System" on Thursday, in the Khaddya Bhaban conference room.

The Directorate General of Food also signed three other contracts with Beximco Computers Limited, Confidence Infrastructure Limited, and GSI USI JV, stated a press release.

Under the contract terms, Beximco Computers will set up online connectivity to the Food Department's 1,200 sites in 64 districts to make online monitoring possible. At the same time, it will provide training to increase the IT skills of 35,000 department employees.

Confidence Infrastructure Limited and GSI USI JV will build the Barisal Steel Silo. The silo with a capacity of 48,000 metric tons will play a role in increasing food stocks as well as maintaining food quality and nutrition, reads the press release.

Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, "Steel silos are being built to increase food stocks by 2025. Meanwhile, the construction work of the Mymensingh, Ashuganj and Madhupur silos is nearing completion. These will be handed over by December this year."

"Construction of five more steel silos will begin soon. These silos will store food grains in state-of-the-art cooling systems without the use of pesticides, which will maintain the quality and nutritional value of food grains for up to 2 years."

The Food Minister also said, "There are plans to build 200 paddy silos across the country. Recently 30 approvals have been received. If these are built, marginal farmers will be able to supply paddy easily. Even if the paddy has 24% moisture, a farmer's paddy can be accepted."

Director General of the Food Department, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, presided over the function where Secretary of the Ministry of Food, Dr Mst Nazmanara Khanum, Samira Zuberi Himika, senior advisor of Beximco Computers Limited, and Ikram Uddin, vice chairman of Confidence Infrastructure Limited Bangladesh, were also present.