Massive plan to develop agri sector, says PM
Steps to rehabilitate flood-hit farmers of five districts
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a public meeting at Taherpur of Sunamganj yesterday. She was visiting the place to open distribution of agro imputs among flood-hit farmers of the area.Photo: PID
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government gave highest priority to agriculture sector for ensuring food security in the country. "We don't want to see that a single person is starving, we are relentlessly working for ensuring food security for every person," she said while speaking at a function for distribution of agro inputs to flash flood affected farmers of Haor area under Taherpur upazila in the district. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowhury, Awami League Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta, local member of parliament Engineer Moazzem Hossain Ratan spoke while secretary in charge of agriculture ministry Qazi Akhter Hossain was in the chair. Sheikh Hasina said her government took massive programmes including lowering of fertiliser prices for development of agriculture sector and providing huge subsidy to bring agro inputs to the doorsteps of farmers. She said the government made the scope for farmers to open bank account against only Taka 10. The bank accounts would help the farmers to get the subsidy money directly, she added. Terming the Awami League government agriculture friendly one, Sheikh Hasina said the government believes that the overall development of the country would take place if the agriculture sector is properly developed. She said the government took intensive programme for development of the people of haor area through providing education, health service and other basic facilities. The prime minister said the government would provide agro inputs to 3.5 lakh flood affected farmer families living at haor areas in five districts - Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Sylhet. Besides, steps have been taken to rehabilitate 3,85,000 flood affected farmers. The government believes that water bodies belong to those who have fishing net, the prime minister said, adding that only the real fishermen would be allowed to catch and sell fish. She said the government would build embankments across the haor area in Sylhet to protect the agriculture lands. Under the ongoing government's dredging programme the navigability of the River Surma and the River Kushiyara would be revived, the prime minister added. Besides, the government also took a decision to make the Tanguar Haor into a tourism destination, she said.
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