UNDP to work for CHT peace, development

The UNDP will never work for building heavy infrastructure. It would rather work for ensuring some basic needs like safe motherhood, education and solution of community problems at small scale through micro schemes involving around TK. three lakh each under the multi-donor 'quick impact fund (QIF)', they said at a press briefing here on Saturday.

UND Resident Representative Jorgen Lissner and Director of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) Michael Heyn spoke at thebriefing, held at the CHTDF office at Rajbari in the town.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Replying to a question Lissner said, "The UNDP will facilitate self-reliant approach to development, which the people and institutions in CHT defined for themselves.

"Basically, we are keen to motivate the people for peace and support them to enhance their own capacity", he said.

CHTDF Director Hyen said, "We are ready to face development challenges until any untoward incident takes place.

"Generally, UNDP works for a minimum of three to seven years though at present there is a one-year 'work plan' under CHTDF", he said.

The briefing preceded opening of the CHTDF office to resume development activities in the CHT, aided by UNDP and other donors after a suspension of over two years.

Donor-aided development programmes were suspended for security reasons following abduction of two Danish and a British engineers from Kalapahar area under Naniarchar upazila in Rangamati district on February 16, 2001.

Development activities resumed after a joint assessment by the government and the UNDP reported that the CHT is safe for development workers to return and that it is important to provide facilities in the tension-torn CHT.