CA calls for coordination to eliminate 'Monga'
Monday, 13 August 2007
RANGPUR, Aug 12 (UNB/BSS): Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed called upon government and non-governmental institutions to work with a synergy to prevent seasonal calamity 'Monga' which sometimes prevails in the greater Rangpur region during September-November lean period for want of employment and food.
He made the call while inaugurating Dissemination Workshop on Programme Initiative for Monga Eradication (PRIME) code-named 'Sangjog' launched by the PKSF (Palli Karma Sayahok Foundation) at the RDRS auditorium here Sunday.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Ahmed Sunday categorically said his government is determined to implement its main agenda of holding a neutral, fair and acceptable general election free from unholy influences by December 2008.
He said, "Honest and dedicated people would be encouraged to contest the polls where there won't be influence of black money and muscle power and abuse of authority."
The head of caretaker government apprised his audience of his government's stand and plan of action while addressing a view-exchange meeting with local elite and government officials at the RDRS auditorium in the district town Sunday noon.
The meeting was organised by the district administration where representatives of various professions, including businessmen, lawyers, journalists and teachers, took part in exchange of opinion on the country's latest situation and the do's and don'ts.
LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal and Agriculture adviser CS Karim also spoke at the occasion. Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Atiar Rahman gave welcome address and conducted the meeting.
"We have been hearing about Monga for ages. Everybody becomes active at the advent of Monga season each year and many also become vocal in the mass media. But the subject gets erased from their memory once the season is over -- and their activities also subside," he told the inaugural session of the daylong workshop.
But, the head of caretaker government said, the seasonal phenomenon of the penury called Monga could be eliminated permanently within the shortest possible time through adoption of a well-coordinated programme participated by all stakeholders.
"So, let us all declare in unison: let there be no more pauperization through the impact of Monga. We must prevent this seasonal calamity through collective effort. We cannot claim ourselves to be a modern self-respecting nation by keeping a large chunk of our population trapped inside a vicious cycle of hunger and poverty," he observed.
He urged all irrespective of religion, caste or creed, and position to undertake a collective and concerted combat to free the country from poverty and put the nation in a place of dignity as a growth-seeking nation in the community of nations.
Acting Managing Director of PKSF Mosharraf Hossain Khan made a power point presentation highlighting various programmes of microfinance organisations, particularly its new recipe, for eradicating Monga in the backwater region.
The PKSF launched the new package programme styled Sangjog in 2006 aiming to create wage-based employment and self-employment all year long for the Monga-affected people through providing financial service on soft conditions, provide loan for meeting urgent need, give scope for transferring remittances to families by migrant family members, extend cooperation in creating wage-based work during Monga season and increase capability to face such dearth.
The PKSF launched a pilot programme under 'Sangjog' in Lalmonirhat last year and got a positive outcome. It would extend activities to the rest four districts of greater Rangpur - Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari.
Ahmed said the micro-credit programmes and funds for extending assistance to the marginalised population arising from natural causes like Monga have also been expanded. Around Tk 5.50 billion (550 crore) has been sanctioned for generating employment in rural areas outside the ministry-based programmes, he added.
Referring to Monga in a particular region, he said it should be examined why the number of migrant workers or remittance senders was lesser in the northern region of the country than other regions. One-fourth household received remittances in Chittagong division, while only one percent households of Rajshahi division received such remittances, he added.
LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal also spoke at the inaugural session, attended by Rangpur Area Commander and GOC of Rangpur Cantonment Syed Fatemi Ahmed Rommy, government officials, local elite, members of development partners, members of various NGOs, chairmen and members of Union Parishads and officials and staff of PKSF.
The CA emphasised bringing about variation in adopting various poverty-alleviation projects through launching pragmatic income-generating and skill-development programmes to create employment and human resources.
He urged the concerned authorities to encourage people to participation in a bigger way in various self-employment and training programmes undertaken by different ministries, like Education, Youth and Sports, and Labour and Employment.
Appreciating the newly devised Sangjog scheme of PKSF to eradicate Monga, Ahmed, also former managing director of the PKSF as well as governor of Bangladesh Bank, said the government's soft-lending outfit is striving to bring about variations in the livelihood and income-generating activities of the hardcore poor. It has also established strategic alliance with other institutions engaged in funding poverty-alleviation schemes.
"We are optimistic that the hardcore poor would be able to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty through expansion of this type of programme," he said.
He said the government allocated 57 per cent of its budgetary allocations during the current financial year for direct or indirect poverty alleviation programme. Of these, 10.6 per cent will be spent for social empowerment and safety network, he added.
He made the call while inaugurating Dissemination Workshop on Programme Initiative for Monga Eradication (PRIME) code-named 'Sangjog' launched by the PKSF (Palli Karma Sayahok Foundation) at the RDRS auditorium here Sunday.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Ahmed Sunday categorically said his government is determined to implement its main agenda of holding a neutral, fair and acceptable general election free from unholy influences by December 2008.
He said, "Honest and dedicated people would be encouraged to contest the polls where there won't be influence of black money and muscle power and abuse of authority."
The head of caretaker government apprised his audience of his government's stand and plan of action while addressing a view-exchange meeting with local elite and government officials at the RDRS auditorium in the district town Sunday noon.
The meeting was organised by the district administration where representatives of various professions, including businessmen, lawyers, journalists and teachers, took part in exchange of opinion on the country's latest situation and the do's and don'ts.
LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal and Agriculture adviser CS Karim also spoke at the occasion. Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Atiar Rahman gave welcome address and conducted the meeting.
"We have been hearing about Monga for ages. Everybody becomes active at the advent of Monga season each year and many also become vocal in the mass media. But the subject gets erased from their memory once the season is over -- and their activities also subside," he told the inaugural session of the daylong workshop.
But, the head of caretaker government said, the seasonal phenomenon of the penury called Monga could be eliminated permanently within the shortest possible time through adoption of a well-coordinated programme participated by all stakeholders.
"So, let us all declare in unison: let there be no more pauperization through the impact of Monga. We must prevent this seasonal calamity through collective effort. We cannot claim ourselves to be a modern self-respecting nation by keeping a large chunk of our population trapped inside a vicious cycle of hunger and poverty," he observed.
He urged all irrespective of religion, caste or creed, and position to undertake a collective and concerted combat to free the country from poverty and put the nation in a place of dignity as a growth-seeking nation in the community of nations.
Acting Managing Director of PKSF Mosharraf Hossain Khan made a power point presentation highlighting various programmes of microfinance organisations, particularly its new recipe, for eradicating Monga in the backwater region.
The PKSF launched the new package programme styled Sangjog in 2006 aiming to create wage-based employment and self-employment all year long for the Monga-affected people through providing financial service on soft conditions, provide loan for meeting urgent need, give scope for transferring remittances to families by migrant family members, extend cooperation in creating wage-based work during Monga season and increase capability to face such dearth.
The PKSF launched a pilot programme under 'Sangjog' in Lalmonirhat last year and got a positive outcome. It would extend activities to the rest four districts of greater Rangpur - Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari.
Ahmed said the micro-credit programmes and funds for extending assistance to the marginalised population arising from natural causes like Monga have also been expanded. Around Tk 5.50 billion (550 crore) has been sanctioned for generating employment in rural areas outside the ministry-based programmes, he added.
Referring to Monga in a particular region, he said it should be examined why the number of migrant workers or remittance senders was lesser in the northern region of the country than other regions. One-fourth household received remittances in Chittagong division, while only one percent households of Rajshahi division received such remittances, he added.
LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal also spoke at the inaugural session, attended by Rangpur Area Commander and GOC of Rangpur Cantonment Syed Fatemi Ahmed Rommy, government officials, local elite, members of development partners, members of various NGOs, chairmen and members of Union Parishads and officials and staff of PKSF.
The CA emphasised bringing about variation in adopting various poverty-alleviation projects through launching pragmatic income-generating and skill-development programmes to create employment and human resources.
He urged the concerned authorities to encourage people to participation in a bigger way in various self-employment and training programmes undertaken by different ministries, like Education, Youth and Sports, and Labour and Employment.
Appreciating the newly devised Sangjog scheme of PKSF to eradicate Monga, Ahmed, also former managing director of the PKSF as well as governor of Bangladesh Bank, said the government's soft-lending outfit is striving to bring about variations in the livelihood and income-generating activities of the hardcore poor. It has also established strategic alliance with other institutions engaged in funding poverty-alleviation schemes.
"We are optimistic that the hardcore poor would be able to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty through expansion of this type of programme," he said.
He said the government allocated 57 per cent of its budgetary allocations during the current financial year for direct or indirect poverty alleviation programme. Of these, 10.6 per cent will be spent for social empowerment and safety network, he added.