Tk 158.9m allocated for post-flood agri-rehabilitation in 10 N dists

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RANGPUR, Aug 27 (BSS): The government has allocated Tk 158.9 million (Tk 15.89 crore) for post-flood agri-rehabilitation in 10 flood-hit northern districts.
Under the programme, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) will help small and marginal farmers recoup their losses in recent floods, officials said.
They said the assessment of losses at union parishad and upazila levels in the agri-sector has already been completed by the concerned committees.
Each of the affected small and marginal farmers will get T-Aman saplings, seeds of various crops, including Rabi crops like Boro paddy, maize, wheat, mustard, vegetables, fertiliser, pesticide, irrigation facilities and other agr-inputs free of charges for cultivating crops in one bigha (33 decimals) of land.
The DAE has already started distributing T-Aman seedlings among the affected farmers and procuring seedlings from the unaffected areas in the worst affected districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Pabna and some other districts.
At the same time, special emphasis has been given on farming of other crops, including the Rabi crops, which begins in mid-September, to make up the farmers' losses, officials said.
Deputy Director of DAE, Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam told the news agency that special steps had been taken for utilising the huge government allocation at the field level for the affected farmers to make the programme a success.
The break-up of government allocation is as follows: Tk 45,48,788 for Rangpur, Tk 95,86,800 for Gaibandha, Tk 1,61,18,194 for Kurigram, Tk 63,27,300 for Lalmonirhat, Tk 21,98,663 for Nilphamari, Tk 1,73,65,275 for Bogra, Tk 3,95,79,656 for Sirajganj, Tk 2,57,38,969 for Pabna, Tk 2,50,97,625 for Natore and Tk 1,23,47,88 for Rajshahi districts.