UNB, Sunamganj :
Issuing a note of warning that no one will be spared if any negligence is found in haor embankment construction, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said haor farmers will get free agricultural inputs for the next crop.
“The government is not only providing relief materials to the flood-hit people, it’ll also distribute all necessary agricultural inputs free of cost for their next crop,” she told a civic gathering here.
Sheikh Hasina is now in the district to see for herself the flood-affected areas where Boro crops on over two lakh hectares of land were damaged, causing a colossal loss to the livelihood, fish and livestock of farmers.
The Prime Minister arrived at Shaheed Ali Model High School maidan in Shalla upazila by a helicopter.
About irregularities in embankment construction, Sheikh Hasina said, “If there’s any negligence in embankment construction, we’ll surely take action against the people concerned. We’re very much aware of that.”
She said her government will provide seeds and fertilizer and other agri-inputs that are needed for the next crop in the affected areas. The Prime Minister also said the bank interest rate for the haor areas has been slashed by half, and suspended the collection process. “State-run banks have already decided to reduce the interest rate by half.” Hasina said the government will appoint dealers at the union level in the haor areas to operate open market sale (OMS) for food grains. “We’ll ensure food security with this system,” she said.
The Prime Minister asked the Food Minister to take immediate steps in this regard.
Assuring the people of the flood-affected areas of taking all necessary measures, she said no one will face the lack of food and shelter as the government will expand VGF activities to the haor areas apart from OMS programme. Hasina said the government has sufficient food stocks as Bangladesh has achieved food autarky. “There’s nothing to be worried and there’ll be no food crisis.”
She also ordered the ministers concerned to take measures to increase navigability of the canals and rivers in the haors through dredging. “Rivers and haors must be saved.”
The Prime Minister said steps will be taken so that money is disbursed timely to construct dams and embankments, and implement other projects in the haor areas. About the price hike of rice and other commodities, Sheikh Hasina warned against any ill-effort of increasing prices saying the government will not tolerate any one committing such misdeeds and causing sufferings to the public taking advantage of the flood situation. Putting emphasis on diversification of food production, the Prime Minister said the people of the haor areas should not depend only on one crop, rather they will have to focus on production of variety of items including dal, spices, fish and other seasonal crops.
About educational institutions, she said, directives have already been given to the Ministry of Education to construct residential schools in haor and remote areas of the country so that the students will not have to suffer for continuing their academic activities. The Prime Minister also elaborated various steps taken by the government to extend food and cash support programme being provided to 62 upazilas of six districts, including Sunamganj. Hasina had an aerial view the flood-hit areas from a helicopter before her landing, and visited some affected areas by a speedboat.
The Prime Minister held a meeting with senior officials and then distributed relief goods among the flood-hit people and gave necessary directives to make sure that every affected person gets the relief materials.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, State Minister for Finance MA Mannan and State Minister for Water Resources Nazrul Islam are accompanying the Prime Minister. According to a primary official estimate, over 8 lakh people in the country’s Haor belt have been affected as 6.5 lakh tonnes of Boro crops have gone under water due to flashfloods, with Sunamganj being the worst-hit one. The other affected districts are Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrakona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria.
