The government has approved the purchase of 1.80 crore liters of rice bran oil at a total cost of approximately taka 305.568 crore to supply subsidized cooking oil to low-income families through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB)`s Family Card program.

The cabinet committee on government purchases approved the procurement at a meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

The purchase will be made from local suppliers through open tendering in two separate proposals from the Commerce Ministry.

Under the first proposal, 80 lakh liters will be procured in four lots of 20 lakh liters each from four companies at a combined cost of taka 135.15 crore.

The suppliers are Majumdar Bran Oil Mills Limited of Jessore at 169.75 taka per liter, Green Oil and Poultry Feed Industry of Dhaka at 169.25 taka per liter, Tamim Agro Industries Limited of Dhaka at 169.25 taka per liter, and Pradhan Oil Mills Limited of Gaibandha at 167.50 taka per liter.

Eleven bids were received and evaluated before the tender evaluation committee recommended these four lowest responsive bidders.

Under the second proposal, an additional one crore liters will be purchased in five lots from five companies at a total cost of taka 170.418 crore.

Each company will supply 20 lakh liters. The suppliers include Majumdar Bran Oil Mills at 170.75 taka per liter, Majumdar Products Limited of Dhaka at 170.40 taka per liter, Tamim Agro Industries at 170.25 taka per liter, Green Oil and Poultry Feed Industry at 170.29 taka per liter, and another lot from Majumdar Products Limited at 170.40 taka per liter.

Eleven bids were also received for this proposal.