Food Minister Afroza Khanam Rita said the government is working to dismantle warehouse syndicates and ensure that genuine beneficiaries receive the benefits of public food programmes. She made the remarks on Sunday afternoon after an unannounced inspection of the Beutha campus of Manikganj Sadar Local Storage Depot and Saturia Local Storage Depot in Saturia upazila.

During the visit, the minister inspected stocks of paddy, rice, wheat and flour, along with storage arrangements and grain quality. She discussed overall warehouse management and safe storage measures with relevant officials. Rita said her first priority was verifying that depots hold adequate food stocks and that stored grain remains safe and of acceptable quality.

She said the Manikganj Sadar and Saturia depots had sufficient stocks, with satisfactory quality of stored paddy, wheat and flour. Similar reserves exist in other districts, she said, adding that every district currently has adequate food supplies and no food shortage. She warned that legal action would be taken over irregularities, mismanagement or quality problems, citing action already taken after irregularities were found at a food depot in Ghior, Manikganj.