An inter-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management that took the decision yesterday reviewed the overall food situation in the country and progress in government's food procurement drive.

Presided over by the Minister for Food and Disaster Management Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, the meeting was attended, among others, by Agriculture minister MK Anwar, State Minister for Finance Anwarul Kabir Talukder and Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management Asadul Habib Dulu.

The government decided to issue 1,000 VGF cards for each union and 2,000 for each first class Pourashava, 1,500 for each second class pourashava and 1,000 for each third class pourashava.

Ten kg of rice will be given against each VGF card for a month that will require the government 1.20 lakh metric tons of rice.

Besides, each family will be able to buy three to five kg of rice from the OMS shops. A total of 18,000 dealers in 64 districts will open the OMS shops.

Police will be deployed while distributing VGF cards and at OMS shops for controlling irregularities and nepotism.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and local monitoring committee led by magistrates will also visit the spots frequently for supervising the OMS and VGF programmes, sources said.