The price of rice is increasing being control despite a record production and the highest stock in silos, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said on Sunday.

Since rice is the staple food the country will have to further boost the grain production at any cost, the minister said at a meeting to review the progress of his ministry’s Annual Development Programme at Bangladesh Secretariat.

“We are unable to control the price hike,” he told the meeting.

He urged scientists, agriculture extension officials and all others concerned to work sincerely for increasing food production.

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He asked officials not to waste time in lobbying to become projects directors in the hope of earning extra money through corruption and irregularities.

“The project directors are recruited after considering professional skill, eligibility and leadership quality,” he said.

“Please do not go for lobbying to become a project director for taking illegal facilities through irregularities and corruption,” he said.  

He said those who are in charge projects have to maintain transparency in spending funds.

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Razzaque also asked the officers concerned of the ministry to monitor the project work strictly.

According to the ministry, it has 71 projects in FY2021-2022 with a total allocation of Tk 2,928 crores. So far, 32 percent work has been implemented till December 2021, higher than the national ADP implementation of 24 per cent.