Funds for post-flood rehab could not be used properly: Tapan
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Food and Disaster Management Advisor Tapan Chowdhury said Monday that funds allocated for post-flood rehabilitation could not be utilized properly as the flood hit the country for second time, reports UNB.
"The government had taken tremendous rehabilitation programmes to overcome the losses of the flood. But another phase of flood hit the country. Hence the government and NGO allocations for house building and agricultural rehabilitation could not be utilized properly," he said.
The adviser was addressing a national level interactive workshop on "Flood Recovery 2007: The Way Forward" at the city's BRAC Inn Centre with Joint Secretary of Food and Disaster Management, Mohsena Ferdous, in the chair.
The government, Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC), Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and Oxfam-GB jointly arranged the workshop.
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim also spoke on the occasion as special guest.
Tapan Chowdhury questioned what the government should do when people spent the allocations for house building and agricultural rehabilitation in such a reality.
"The flood victims were given money to rebuild their homes. But they could not do that due to the second phase of flood. Now we will have to assess where the money has gone," he said.
Picking up the Food and Disaster Management Adviser's observations the Agriculture Adviser expressed the view that it should not be said that the allocations have been wasted as the flood victims have spent money obviously to meet their emergency needs.
"People could not rebuild houses as their lands again went under flood water. But a weaver might have spent the money buying handloom instruments. So the money was not wasted," he said.
Tapan Chowdhury also expressed dissatisfaction over dissimilarities with flood-related information provided by Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation and Department of Agricultural Extension.
"Government has instructed officials to provide authentic information on flood damages and needs assessment. But now we see huge gap in the information. We need integrated and authentic information to fight disasters," he said.
About the government's fresh rehabilitation plans, CS Karim said now the country needs about 29 million tonnes of fertiliser. "But the country's factories can produce 1.4/1.5 million tonnes of fertiliser... The shortfall will have to be met through import," he added.
He said now the government wants to ensure the highest production of Boro paddy as the planted Aman seedlings were severely damaged by the second phase of flood.
"The government had taken tremendous rehabilitation programmes to overcome the losses of the flood. But another phase of flood hit the country. Hence the government and NGO allocations for house building and agricultural rehabilitation could not be utilized properly," he said.
The adviser was addressing a national level interactive workshop on "Flood Recovery 2007: The Way Forward" at the city's BRAC Inn Centre with Joint Secretary of Food and Disaster Management, Mohsena Ferdous, in the chair.
The government, Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC), Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and Oxfam-GB jointly arranged the workshop.
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim also spoke on the occasion as special guest.
Tapan Chowdhury questioned what the government should do when people spent the allocations for house building and agricultural rehabilitation in such a reality.
"The flood victims were given money to rebuild their homes. But they could not do that due to the second phase of flood. Now we will have to assess where the money has gone," he said.
Picking up the Food and Disaster Management Adviser's observations the Agriculture Adviser expressed the view that it should not be said that the allocations have been wasted as the flood victims have spent money obviously to meet their emergency needs.
"People could not rebuild houses as their lands again went under flood water. But a weaver might have spent the money buying handloom instruments. So the money was not wasted," he said.
Tapan Chowdhury also expressed dissatisfaction over dissimilarities with flood-related information provided by Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation and Department of Agricultural Extension.
"Government has instructed officials to provide authentic information on flood damages and needs assessment. But now we see huge gap in the information. We need integrated and authentic information to fight disasters," he said.
About the government's fresh rehabilitation plans, CS Karim said now the country needs about 29 million tonnes of fertiliser. "But the country's factories can produce 1.4/1.5 million tonnes of fertiliser... The shortfall will have to be met through import," he added.
He said now the government wants to ensure the highest production of Boro paddy as the planted Aman seedlings were severely damaged by the second phase of flood.