Seminar in Rangpur told

A partial view of the seminar on how to overcome monga, held in Rajshahi. PHOTO: STAR

There should be a new thinking about government's relief and rehabilitation programmes so that these bring about sustainable, they said.

Five NGOs-- Health Education and Agriculture Development Society (HEADS), Rangpur Protibondhi Foundation, Rangpur Samajik Unnayan Sangstha (RDSS), Social Equality for Effective Development (SEED) and

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Society for Social Service (SSS) -- jointly organised the day-long seminar, held recently at Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) auditorium.

Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam was the chief guest while RCCI President Mostafa Azad Chowdhurty Babu and Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Ayinul Hoque were special guests.

Akbar Hossen, president of Rangpur Protibondhi Foundation moderated the seminar.

The DC told the seminar that the government has taken up a special programme for hard core poor in Lalmonirhat. This will be replicated in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Gibandha, and Kurigram districts soon.

Under the programme, beneficiaries will get lump sum amounts of money so that they can do some income generating activities to avoid the hardship during the monga period in Bangla months of Ashin and Kartik.

The DAE should initiate programmes to change the cropping pattern and cultivation of value added crops and vegetables, he said.

The DAE has introduced some early harvest crops in the region. Their percentage is only eight now.

He told the seminar that only 35 percent of the poor in Rangpur have been brought under micro credit provided by the government and

NGOs. The rate is much higher in other districts. NGOs should expand micro credit with lesser interest, he suggested.

RCCI President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu said the government and political leaders in the region should encourage moneyed men to set up industries.

The government should remove all obstacles in this regard and supply gas.

The government spends huge amounts of money for relief and rehabilitation, which does not benefit the poor in real terms. Instead, the government should take a plan for building infrastructure, providing all facilities and encourage rich people to set up industries in the region.

Soil of the region is suitable for sugar cane cultivation. But farmers have almost given up its cultivation in the wake of closure of sugar mills, he said.

Many rich people are interested to set up sugar mills but that needs government patronisation, he added.

Anwarul Kabir of World Food Programme (WFP) said several lak people in the region have been brought under poverty alleviation programme. The WFP has a plan to include more hard core women in the Integrated Food Security Pogramme.

Abul Kashem, Regional Manager of Polli Kormo Sahaiok Foundation (PKSF) said his organisation with support from International Development Association (IDA) had taken up a 3-year pilot project styled Financial Services for the Poorest in Northern Region.

Under the project, PKSF has given Tk 50 crore to 12 NGOs for expanding their micro credit programmes in monga-hit areas.

The NGOs are giving loans on 10 per cent interest.

He said PKSF is willing to help small entrepreneurs in rural areas to create employment.

The AED Deputy Director said soil in the region is suitable for maize cultivation. The crop is being produced in large quantities every year, but no initiative has been taken by any one to set up maize-based food industries, he said.

The speakers included Hasna Banu, Deputy Director of Social welfare Department, Rangpur Press Club President Sadrul Alam Dulu,

RDRS Executive Director Abdus Salam, Programme Coordinator of Society for Social Service Abdur Razzak and Sarothi Rani Saha, Executive Director of Social Equality for Effective Develop-ment, an NGO.