Secys set strategies for expediting relief work
Friday, 23 November 2007
S M Jahangir
The secretaries of all the ministries met Thursday to review the post-cyclone satiation and set strategies for expediting the government's relief and rehabilitation activities for the victims.
Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumdar, the meeting called for a greater coordination among the concerned agencies to make the ongoing relief and rehabilitation activities effective and well-managed, a meeting source said.
The meeting, however, decided to donate one day's salary of all the government officials and employees to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund for the victims of the severe cyclone 'Sidr', which hit the country's south-western coastal districts on November 15.
It also decided that top officials of the relevant agencies -- Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Directorate of Health Roads and Highways (R&H), Power Division and others -- would be staying in Barisal to oversee the relief and rehabilitation operations.
Among the agencies, the Directorate of Health and the PHED will look after of the health and supply of drinking water in the affected areas while the Power Division will supervise the restoration works relating to the power transmission and distribution lines there, the meeting sources said.
The meeting, however, assigned the Facilities Department to categorise the extent of damage to the educational institutions into two - minor and major ones.
It was also decided at the meeting that the minor damage to the educational institutions could be repaired through the allocation from the revenue budget.
On the other hand, an umbrella project will be taken up for rebuilding the worst-hit educational institutions, said the sources.
To ensure the smooth supply of urgent relief goods among the Sidr victims, the meeting also decided that the senior officials of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry would be deployed at the Zia International Airport to receive relief materials from foreign countries/agencies and facilitate their quick supply to the affected areas.
Besides, the Bangladesh Army will take the responsibilities of transporting such relief materials to the cyclone-hit districts, the meeting was informed.
The Food and Disaster Management secretary Aiyub Miyan informed the meeting about the losses caused due to the Sidr and the government's post-disaster relief operations, said a meeting source.
Referring to the information of districts administrations, he said over 6.05 million people belonging to more than 1.45 million families in 200 upazilas under 12 districts have been badly affected due to the cyclone.
The cyclone Sidr had totally damaged crops, especially matured 'aman', on nearly 167,000 acres while 1.45 million acres of cropped land were also affected partially.
About 460,000 houses and 1780 educational intuitions were completely damaged while 1.44 million of houses and about 5675 education institutions were partially damaged due to the cyclone, he mentioned.
Aiyub Miyan, however, told the meeting that the Food and Disaster Management Ministry had already allocated about 7500 tonnes of gratuity relief (GR) rice, about Tk 15.43 million as GR cash and Tk 214.63 million as house rebuilding fund for the affected districts.
Apart from the government emergency relief operation, the ministry has also decided to launch a special VGF (vulnerable group feeding) programme from December 1, under which each of 2.59 million of beneficiaries in the 12 affected districts will be receiving 15 kgs of rice per month until March 2008, he added.
The meeting was told that a number of countries and development agencies had already pledged a significant volume of aid and relief assistance for the Sidr victims.
The secretaries of all the ministries met Thursday to review the post-cyclone satiation and set strategies for expediting the government's relief and rehabilitation activities for the victims.
Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumdar, the meeting called for a greater coordination among the concerned agencies to make the ongoing relief and rehabilitation activities effective and well-managed, a meeting source said.
The meeting, however, decided to donate one day's salary of all the government officials and employees to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund for the victims of the severe cyclone 'Sidr', which hit the country's south-western coastal districts on November 15.
It also decided that top officials of the relevant agencies -- Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Directorate of Health Roads and Highways (R&H), Power Division and others -- would be staying in Barisal to oversee the relief and rehabilitation operations.
Among the agencies, the Directorate of Health and the PHED will look after of the health and supply of drinking water in the affected areas while the Power Division will supervise the restoration works relating to the power transmission and distribution lines there, the meeting sources said.
The meeting, however, assigned the Facilities Department to categorise the extent of damage to the educational institutions into two - minor and major ones.
It was also decided at the meeting that the minor damage to the educational institutions could be repaired through the allocation from the revenue budget.
On the other hand, an umbrella project will be taken up for rebuilding the worst-hit educational institutions, said the sources.
To ensure the smooth supply of urgent relief goods among the Sidr victims, the meeting also decided that the senior officials of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry would be deployed at the Zia International Airport to receive relief materials from foreign countries/agencies and facilitate their quick supply to the affected areas.
Besides, the Bangladesh Army will take the responsibilities of transporting such relief materials to the cyclone-hit districts, the meeting was informed.
The Food and Disaster Management secretary Aiyub Miyan informed the meeting about the losses caused due to the Sidr and the government's post-disaster relief operations, said a meeting source.
Referring to the information of districts administrations, he said over 6.05 million people belonging to more than 1.45 million families in 200 upazilas under 12 districts have been badly affected due to the cyclone.
The cyclone Sidr had totally damaged crops, especially matured 'aman', on nearly 167,000 acres while 1.45 million acres of cropped land were also affected partially.
About 460,000 houses and 1780 educational intuitions were completely damaged while 1.44 million of houses and about 5675 education institutions were partially damaged due to the cyclone, he mentioned.
Aiyub Miyan, however, told the meeting that the Food and Disaster Management Ministry had already allocated about 7500 tonnes of gratuity relief (GR) rice, about Tk 15.43 million as GR cash and Tk 214.63 million as house rebuilding fund for the affected districts.
Apart from the government emergency relief operation, the ministry has also decided to launch a special VGF (vulnerable group feeding) programme from December 1, under which each of 2.59 million of beneficiaries in the 12 affected districts will be receiving 15 kgs of rice per month until March 2008, he added.
The meeting was told that a number of countries and development agencies had already pledged a significant volume of aid and relief assistance for the Sidr victims.