Govt to provide relief until situation improves: Maya

Staff Correspondent: The government has announced to provide with 33-35 lakh metric tonnes of rice and TK 50 crore as relief among at least 3.30 lakh ultra-poor families in four districts affected by the flash flood.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya came up with the announcement after an inter-ministerial meeting with secretaries of all relevant ministries at the secretariat on Sunday.

Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said a 100-day scheme has been undertaken to provide with relief among people affected by the flash flood in four districts. 33-35 lakh metric tonnes of rice and TK 50 crore will be provided as relief among at least 3.30 lakh ultra-poor families in those affected districts.

As part of the relief, each family will receive 30 kilogrammes of rice and Tk 500 per month, he said.

The government will keep providing with relief among them as long as the water will exist in the areas and if the situation is not normal within these 100 days, Maya added.

Citing that there is no food crisis in the country, he said the government will provide with rice at TK 10 for those who will refuse to take relief.

Maya also urged journalists to serve objective news in this regard.

A high-powered committee was formed with the joint secretaries of all the ministries as its members at the meeting. The additional secretary of disaster management ministry will lead the committee.

They will visit the disaster affected areas and will submit a report with recommendations over the issue in 15 days.

Secretaries of Finance, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Water resources and Fisheries and Livestock ministries were present at the meeting at the Disaster Management Ministry.

risingbd/DHAKA/Apr 23, 2017/Asad/Amirul